Carer caught red-handed on video rifling though 92-year-old's handbag to steal £40

A carer was caught red-handed rifling through a 92-year-old woman's handbag on a camera set up in her home by the victim's niece.

The camera recorded 44-year-old Lorraine Cenci, grabbing £40 that the widow was keeping for expenses.

The victim suffers from osteoporosis, cannot walk without help, and has survived cancer.

It was on March 5 that Cenci, a mother of three, took the elderly lady to the toilet, left her there and then searched her handbag.

Relatives became suspicious after money went missing from her handbag in January.

So her niece Debi Riley, wrote down the serial numbers of two £20 notes and put them in an envelope in the victim's handbag.

She also hid the camera, which streamed live to he smartphone, by her bedside table at her home in Enfield.

Mrs Riley and her husband called 999 and the carer, was arrested.

The serial numbers on the notes matched.

Cenci, of Enfield, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by an employee at Highbury magistrates’ court.

Cenci had worked for the family for about two months, according to a report in the Evening Standard.

The court heard her lawyer describe the theft as “a moment of madness” telling the court she needed the money for a meal with her mum on Mother's Day.

SureCare Enfield supplied Cenci as a carer to the family.

Cenci was handed an eight-week suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay £40 compensation, an £80 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Her niece described how she watched on in disbelief as the carer of a 92-year-old aunt rifled though her handbag for cash.

Debi Reilly told ITV News: "Watching her go back to the bag, sifting through, and then taking the money from the bag and putting it in her pocket. Still to this day I am mortified that anyone would do that, in that position of trust."