She abused her position and stole money from a 92-year-old's purse

Alison Lavell, of Alexandra Street, Warrington was jailed for nine months for stealing £40 from a pensioner
-Credit: (Image: Cheshire Constabulary)


A cleaner caught on CCTV pinching £40 out of a pensioner's purse has been jailed. Alison Lavell, 59, was sentenced to nine months' immediate imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to two counts of theft in relation to incidents involving a 92-year-old woman she cleaned for.

Liverpool Crown Court heard this week that Cheshire Constabulary received a report from the victim's son on January 12 this year. He told the police he suspected Lavell had been stealing money from his mum that was supposed to be given to her carers. The caller reported around £500 had gone missing by the time they were made aware.

The son provided the police with video footage from a hidden camera from inside the elderly woman's home that showed Lavell, who was her personal cleaner at the time, taking what they believed was £20 from her purse on January 2. A second piece of video footage taken a week later showed Lavell again reaching into the purse of the victim and taking a further £20.

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Lavell was subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft but denied any knowledge of the 92-year-old's money going missing. She tried to claim she was innocent and had instead gone into the purse to pick up a prescription.

Following her not guilty plea, her case went to trial. However, she later changed her plea to guilty after footage from the hidden camera was shown to her in court. Lavell, of Alexandra Street, Warrington, then appeared at Liverpool Crown Court for sentence on Tuesday, September 10 where she was jailed for nine months.

Police Constable Stephen Wolstenholme, of Cheshire Constabulary's Warrington area investigation team, said: "Alison Lavell abused her position of trust and stole the money of a vulnerable person who considered her a friend. I hope that her sentencing today provides the victim with a sense of closure from this distressing incident. Regardless of how small they may seem, we will always take matters such as this with the utmost seriousness and our officers will relentlessly do everything they can to get you the justice you deserve."