SHOCKING video shows the moment a “carer” was caught on camera stealing from the 93-year-old woman she was supposed to be looking after.
Lydia Josselyn is seen taking money from the pensioner’s purse and tucking it in the back of her trousers.
The footage was passed by the family to police and Josselyn was convicted of theft and ordered to do community service and compensate her victim.
The family, who wish to remain anonymous, suspected for some time that Josselyn, from Hadleigh, Suffolk, was stealing from the dementia-stricken woman she was supposed to be caring for.
The woman’s daughter, who lives in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, set up cameras in various parts of the Hadleigh house in October 2018.
Two months later they checked footage and realised they had the evidence they needed.
Despite being paid £15 an hour over four months from the family’s own funds, Josselyn was caught red-handed stealing £60.
The family suspect that as much as £2,000 disappeared over the period Josselyn was employed.
Last month, Josselyn finally appeared in front of Ipswich Magistrates Court where she was convicted of theft, ordered to do 150 hours community service, and ordered to pay £120 compensation to her victim.
The OAP’s daughter posted the footage to social media, asking viewers: “Please watch this video and decide for yourself if you would like this person, Lydia Josselyn, to act as a carer for your elderly vulnerable family member?”
She added: “Within weeks of taking this person on as a carer for my mum, money started going missing.”
She alleged: “This person took so much that she left my Mum without money. We think she stole approximately £2,000. As we couldn’t work out what was happening to her money, I set up cameras in her home, and this video is the result.”
The video shows Josselyn entering the living room of the woman’s house, dropping her jacket on the couch and then making her way towards the corner of the room.
She can then be seen picking up a purse and begins to examine the contents as she moves towards the door of the room.
As she gets closer to the door, she tucks the purse into the back of her trousers and exits the room.
She comes back a few moments later and returns the purse to its original position.
Sarah Hammond commented: “That is disgusting. Glad she is caught before doing it again to another vulnerable person. Hope she didn’t care for any other elderly people.”
Gina Campbell posted: “This annoys me so much. So many genuine and good carers out there and vulnerable people get frightened to have care because of incidents like this. I hope karma catches up with her.”
Pearse Jackson said: “That’s awful. A disgrace to humanity.”
Speaking today, the daughter said: “My mum was devastated as she really liked Lydia and trusted her, and this made it difficult for us as she kept saying that money wasn’t going missing.
“It appears Lydia kept telling her she was confused when money went missing, saying she must have forgotten where she had put it and not to worry it would turn up.”
A Suffolk Police spokesman today said: “This was a wicked crime where the perpetrator dishonestly exploited the vulnerability of the victim for her own financial gain.”
The Crown Prosecution Service today confirmed that Josselyn had plead guilty to the charge.
A letter sent by Ipswich Magistrates Court to the victim’s daughter confirms that Josselyn was ordered to pay £120 costs following the theft on December 3, 2018.
The victim’s daughter also complained that Josselyn, 53, did not get a tougher sentence.
Writing on social media, she complained: “She didn’t even get a suspended sentence.
“My mum has never recovered from what this so called carer did, and the judge made no instruction to stop her working with the elderly.”
