Carer who stole thousands of pounds worth of jewellery from dying pensioner has been ordered to pay it back

A carer who stole £15,000 worth of jewellery from a dying pensioner has been ordered to pay it back or spend more time in jail.

Kelly Constable took advantage of her role as a “trusted carer” by stealing thousands of pounds from her vulnerable patients, including a woman in her eighties and people with learning difficulties.

When the elderly woman was taken to hospital, Constable, 48, stole gifts from her Christening and a piece of jewellery which had been in the family since 1802.

She also took £5,000 from a man’s safe after taking the key from around his neck while he was asleep.

Two other patients at a care home where she worked were also left out of pocket before she was caught.

Constable, of Cheapside in Brighton, was sentenced to three years for theft and possession of cocaine at Lewes Crown Court in July 2020.

Ordered to pay back what she owes

Now, the same court has ordered her to start paying back what she owes.

Constable has been given three months to come up with £2,935 or she could face another month behind bars, and still have to pay.

If police discover she has other assets, they will be able to obtain another court order for them to be confiscated.

The order was issued under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) on 4 May this year.

Detective Inspector Mark O'Brien said: “These orders come from continued hard work by our officers, in particular our expert financial investigators.

“Wherever possible we now target not just the criminals but also the profits of their crimes, whether they are from drug dealing or any other form of criminal activity.

“It can take time but each investigation results in an application for a court-authorised Order.

"Assets currently available are sometimes less than the amount originally stolen but we keep records of all confiscation orders where the full benefit amount isn’t immediately available and have means of regularly checking to identify any additional assets which have been obtained since the original order was made.

"We can then apply to the court for an increase in the original order. We can also seek the help of the South East Regional Asset Confiscation Enforcement (ACE) team, part of the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) who carry out further work to identify more assets."