Teddy bear catches thief red-handed

A carer suspected of stealing money from a terminally ill great-grandmother was caught by a secret camera hidden in a teddy bear.

Yvonne Allen, 28, of Oakwood Road, Halewood, stole £100 from 75- year-old Thelma Sampson, just days after she was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Mrs Sampson’s family became suspicious after they noticed £40 had gone missing from her handbag after Allen visited her Walton home in July.



At the suggestion of his daughter Emma, a forensic science graduate, Mrs Sampson’s son Robert bought a small camera and hid it inside a teddy bear in his mother’s bedroom.

The following day Allen visited the house again and when she left the family realised another £60 had been taken. When they checked the tape Allen was caught red-handed.

Allen, who worked for Liverpool Primary Care Trust, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and was jailed for six months at the Community Justice Centre.

With video.