A medical centre nurse stole an elderly woman’s money as she received treatment for diabetes, a court heard.
Mother-of-two Samantha Currie, 32, appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court this morning having been found guilty of theft at her trial in March.
Crown prosecutor Keith Ballinger said the victim, an 81-year-old woman, attended a medical centre – which was not named in court – for a diabetes-related eye exam.
The defendant, of Priory Road, Park South, was working at the establishment as a nurse. She had accompanied the patient into an examination room on 9 October 2019 and stood behind her during the process.
Whilst the woman was undergoing an assessment, which involved having drops placed into her eyes, Currie stole £130 from a wallet in her handbag. The bag was placed unzipped on a chair a short distance behind her – and near the defendant – in the same room.
The victim noticed the money was gone when she arrived home and went to give her daughter some of the £140 she’d earlier withdrawn from a cashpoint – only two £5 notes remained. Realising the only time she’d been without her bag was during the medical exam, she called the centre to report the loss.
Sometime later, the woman received a phone call from Currie reporting that her £110 in cash – £20 less than was missing – had been found in a bin at the medical centre. She collected it before reporting the incident to Wiltshire Police.
In an interview, Currie denied she’d taken the money. She continued to deny the theft in court and a trial was arranged for 11 March 2021, where she was found guilty.
In a victim impact statement, the 81-year-old said she was “shocked when it appeared it was a nurse who had taken it”, adding that she feared the ordeal probably would have caused her a heart attack if it wasn’t for her pacemaker.
Defending, Liz Highams said her client had a “right to appeal her conviction”, adding that she wouldn’t add much fruther.
She told of how Currie is the mother of two young children and is currently unemployed. Neither fathers are involved in their care, with one having been deported.
Magistrates, labelling the theft as an “abuse of trust” and noting that it caused “considerable stress”, imposed an 18-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work.
She was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £95 and costs of £200.
