UK Pussy Pass: ‘What do you have to do to get sent to prison?’ Fury as female carer caught on CCTV stealing from frail pensioner who later died of the stress walks free from court

By Mike Buchanan: We really shouldn’t be surprised at the relentless stream of stories like this. Once again a woman walks free after being convicted of carrying out a cynical crime.

MailOnline: A female care worker caught stealing cash from a pensioner - who later died from the stress - has walked free from court.

Jennifer Marley, 54, took £1,000 from Mavis Patey, but was arrested after the 79-year-old's family became suspicious and set up secret cameras.

Mrs Patey's relatives were left furious yesterday after Marley got off with a suspended sentence for her crimes.

Mrs Patey's son, Gary McKinnon, said the sentence was 'very lenient' and sent the wrong message to others tempted to steal.

He said: 'What do you have to do to get sent to prison? It was just greed. When my mother found out she just lost the will to live. She did not want to go on with her life.'

The court heard Mrs Patey's family suspected Marley was stealing and installed security cameras in the elderly woman's house in Plymouth, Devon.

After the footage showed Marley rummaging through the OAP's drawers and stealing an envelope containing £1,000 in cash, the family called in the police.

Marley, of Plymouth, denied one charge of stealing an envelope containing £1,000 between September and November 2012 and pleaded not guilty to the attempted theft of more cash, in an envelope containing plain paper.

But a jury found her guilty of both of those counts following a trial in January.

Mrs Patey has since died and her family say she was killed by the shock of watching the CCTV footage.

Marley was sentenced to 40-weeks in prison, suspended for two years, at Plymouth Crown Court yesterday.

Sentencing Marley, Judge Paul Darlow said: 'This was a gross breach of the trust of an old lady who thought she had formed a caring, trusting relationship. And this is how you repaid her.'

Marley had told the jury she took the money and the fake notes in a bid to attract the attention of employers First Call, but the judge said he found her explanation 'implausible'.

Ali Rafati, for Marley, said she had spent her life in the care industry but would now never work in that field again.

Mr Rafati claimed: 'She is a mature woman who is extremely unlikely to appear in court again.'

Marley resigned from the agency where she had worked since 2003 after she was interviewed by police.

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