Carer sentenced to three years for stealing £8,000 of jewellery

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 01:14 · Archive

Lara Jones, aged 50, was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of burglary at Guildford Crown Court on 9 October.

A carer has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing £8,000 worth of jewellery from her vulnerable elderly client. Lara Jones, aged 50, was found guilty of burglary at Guildford Crown Court on 9 October.

The man lived in Oxted, Surrey. After Jones completed her first shift caring for him, his family noticed jewellery was missing from the home. Suspicious but uncertain, they installed hidden cameras in the bedroom.

On 26 November 2025, during Jones's second shift, the cameras captured her rummaging through the client's drawers and wardrobe, removing jewellery worth £8,000. The victim's daughter contacted police on 3 December, reporting what they had seen on the CCTV footage. Officers arrested Jones on suspicion of burglary, and the stolen jewellery was found when she was searched.

Jones, from Mark Beech in Kent, initially pleaded not guilty. The case proceeded to trial in August, where a jury found her guilty on three counts of burglary. In addition to her prison sentence, she was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.

The victim's family said the violation of trust in their home during a vulnerable time had been devastating and had a profound emotional impact.

How it is being reported

• Moment carer is caught red-handed stealing £8,000 of jewellery from pensionerThe 50-year-old woman was caught on hidden cameras rifling through her vulnerable patient's bedroom after his family noticed jewellery was missing from the homeDaily Express · 27 Oct, 00:55
• Carer caught red-handed stealing £8,000 of jewellery from vulnerable elderly manThe 50-year-old woman was caught on hidden cameras rifling through her vulnerable patient's bedroom after his family noticed jewellery was missing from the homeThe Mirror · 27 Oct, 00:49
• Moment carer steals £8,000 of jewellery from elderly man as she's jailed after being caught by secret cameraShocking footage captured by a secret camera showed Lara Jones, 50, rummaging through the pensioner's drawers in search of expensive items.Daily Mail · 26 Oct, 18:22

In this story: Lara Jones · Oxted · Surrey · Mark Beech · Kent · Guildford Crown Court

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