June Weatherman
A woman who pretended to be a hospital worker so she could steal patients' belongings while they were in hospitals across the South East of England has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
June Weatherman, 50, of no fixed abode, was put behind bars on Thursday, 25 September following a hearing at Guildford Crown Court where she was convicted of 15 charges of theft and fraud.
Weatherman took items from victims in a variety of hospitals in the South East of England, including St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, between September 2013 and January 2014.
She approached the beds of the elderly victims under the pretence of being a hospital worker, before taking items including cash, jewellery and bank cards.
Weatherman later used the stolen bank cards to fraudulently withdraw money at locations in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Kent and London.
Surrey Police released several CCTV images of Weatherman seen in Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow around the time of the thefts and following a witness appeal she was arrested by officers on Tuesday, 14 January. She faced an indictment of 20 charges.
"Weatherman's brazen actions in targeting and deceiving elderly and vulnerable patients whilst in the process of receiving medical care were particularly callous acts on her part - the impact this sort of offence can have on the victims and their families cannot be underestimated" said Temporary Detective Sergeant Andy Jenkins.
"Fortunately incidents of this kind are uncommon - I hope that the custodial sentence given to Weatherman today acts as a deterrent to anyone considering preying on the vulnerable in such a cold and calculated manner and also illustrates the seriousness of these crimes.”
