A CLAYDON mother has been cleared of stealing more than £1,700 from elderly patients while she worked as a carer.

A CLAYDON mother has been cleared of stealing more than £1,700 from elderly patients while she worked as a carer.

Rebecca Snape had been accused of stealing cash and jewellery from the homes of five patients when she was employed by Premier Gold Care last year.

But yesterday a jury at Ipswich Crown Court unanimously found the 32-year-old not guilty of all charges of theft.

Mrs Snape, 32, of Hazel Rise, had consistently denied all of the offences.

The accusations were first put to Mrs Snape after William King, now deceased, complained that £600 had gone missing from his purse on July 15, 2005.

Premier Gold Care had then written a letter to its clients informing them that Mrs Snape's employment had ended and she should no longer be admitted into their homes.

Andrew Shaw, prosecuting, said: “That letter triggered a number of other complaints from elderly people who said money had gone missing.

“Prior to this defendant's employment Premier had received no complaints about theft and after her employment had ended at the end of July 2005 no further complaints had been received.”

The other complaints included one from Marion Finbow who discovered £80 had gone missing from the purse belonging to her father, 95-year-old Edward Southgate, of Sproughton Road, Ipswich, between May 25 and May 27, 2005.

Mrs Snape was also accused of taking £200 in £20 notes on June 17, 2005, from a purse belonging to Doris Fulbrook, who has since died; of taking jewellery and sums of £20 and £45 from Elizabeth Giles in July 2005, and also of stealing £800 from Jessie Alden, a 91-year-old, partially blind patient.