Cleaner in jewellery theft is jailed

A house cleaner fwho stole jewellery worth more than £21,000 from her client's Staffordshire home has been jailed for nine months.

Pauline Smith had been employed to clean the home of Gwynneth Hughes, of Wombourne, by recommendation.

But just a week later, Mrs Hughes discovered two rings had gone missing. She confronted Smith through a letter, telling her how much sentimental value the jewels had and how upset she was.

Mr Pat Sullivan, prosecuting, said: "She gave the defendant one last chance to come clean and having read the letter the defendant admitted she had stolen the rings.

"Hearing why she had stolen, Mrs Hughes acted out of mercy and didn't report it to the police. However, at the end of the year, in December, when Mrs Hughes went to clean her jewellery, she discovered many more items had been stolen."

After confronting Smith with the letter, Mrs Hughes and her husband went with the defendant to a jewellers in Dudley to buy back one of the rings for £560.

The total value of jewellery stolen by Smith was £22,177, of which £16,000 has so far been recovered.

When questioned, Smith said she had stolen because she was in rent arrears.

At Stafford Crown Court yesterday, Smith, aged 52, of Flavell Avenue, in Bilston, admitted a charge of theft.

Judge Michael Challinor told her: "Mrs Hughes took you on to help you and you repaid her kindness by stealing her jewellery when you were trusted to be in her home."

Mr Mark Hemming, defending, said Smith had been living in Italy, in an abusive relationship and had got out to return to the UK but had rent arrears.