Cleaner Jailed For stealing £22,000 From Elderly

A female cleaner stole £22,000 worth of valuables from her elderly customers who regarded her as a trustworthy friend and lent her money. 

Zena Martin was hired by five elderly people in the small village of Sutton Poyntz, in Dorset - including by a 94-year-old woman -  to clean their homes after they recommended her to one another.

The 63-year-old systematically gained the trust of her victims before abusing this to steal money and jewellery - including an engagement present. She even pilfered garden ornaments from her next door neighbour during her two year crime spree and has now been banned from the village. 

In once incident an elderly victim gave Martin a back door key so she could clean her house only for her to steal items totalling £14,600 including an e-reader, glasses, an iPod docking station, clothing and a diamond ring.

At a hearing at Dorchester Crown Court Martin was branded a 'thoroughly dishonest woman' and was jailed for 22 months after she admitted six charges of theft. 

She was also banned for five years from the idyllic village, which has a population of just 300, as her victims said they were relieved. 

The court heard that Martin started stealing from her customers in 2012. 

But she was foiled in 2014 when a victim returned home from holiday and found that three rings, worth about £2,900, had gone missing.

One victim, who did not want to be named, said the cleaner had never shown any remorse for what she had done and the stress she had caused to each of her elderly victims. 

She said: 'We did so much for her, we gave her money when she said she'd lost her purse, because we thought she was our friend and because we felt sorry for her.

 'I feel a sense of relief at the sentence. It's been a very stressful time for all of us so glad she got a custodial sentence.