Carer stole £200 and iPad from disabled client

Katie Montgomery, 33, of Beachcroft Place, Lancing, has cerebral palsy and requires round-the-clock care.

Glenis Rhead worked for her as a personal assistant for a total of 13 months.

Miss Montgomery said: “When she was sacked from Caremark I employed her on a private basis.

“But a week after Christmas I noticed that there was money missing from my account and she was arrested by the police.

“I never suspected anything because Glenis was always so nice and acted as if she loved me,” said Miss Montgomery.

“That is why this whole thing has been so hurtful.”

Rhead, 40, of Ruskin Road, Worthing, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by employee at Worthing Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday. The first was for stealing £100 and the second was for stealing £100 to purchase an iTunes voucher, both from Miss Montgomery.

She was sentenced to four weeks’ community service, issued with an electronic tag and curfew and ordered to pay £200 compensation.

Rhead has also pleaded guilty to stealing an iPad from Miss Montgomery and will 
be sentenced at the end 
of April.

Miss Montgomery said: “I do not know if this is the first time that Glenis has tried this but I have been very upset about the whole thing.

“I want everyone to know about this because I do 
not want it to happen to anybody else.

“I have to have four personal assistants because they help me with my daily tasks and they work in a shift pattern, so someone is always with me.

“They also help me when I attend university once a week.

“You do not expect this to happen. It is awful and it is a complete abuse of trust.”

Sandy Russell has worked as a personal assistant for Miss Montgomery for several years.

She said: “This is horrendous and I think the worst thing is that this is someone in a position of trust and she has violated 
that trust.

“She worked with Katie for over a year and what she did was very devious.

“We found out that she had left Katie at 1am to go to the cashpoint and use her card.

“Katie can only move one finger, so what would have happened if she had fallen out of bed or choked? She could have died.

“The trouble is that Glenis had a persona that you thought was trustworthy.”

Caremark confirmed that Rhead worked as an apprentice care co-ordinator for a year prior to being dismissed on July 16, 2013.