A woman who targeted vulnerable patients and stole cash, jewellery and bank cards by pretending to be a hospital worker has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
June Weatherman, 50, of no fixed abode, was put behind bars on Thursday (September 25) following a hearing at Guildford Crown Court after being convicted of 15 charges of theft and fraud.
Between September 2013 and January 2014, Weatherman took items from victims in a variety of hospitals in the south east including Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.
There, between December 14 and December 17 last year, she stole £1,100 from an 81-year-old patient, taking out cash from her accounts in Chelmsford and Chigwell.
As part of the thorough and extensive multi-force investigation, 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.
Temporary Detective Sergeant Andy Jenkins said: "I would like to thank the members of the public who came forward to identity June Weatherman – it is without doubt that their information was crucial in helping us bring this woman to justice.
"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.
"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."
