A WOMAN stole an elderly dementia sufferer’s bank card after walking into her home, claiming to be a carer, a court heard.

It was one of three houses entered by Leanne Smith in neighbouring streets in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, on the afternoon of November 26, 2015.

In each case there was a confrontation and each time Smith made a different excuse for being on the premises, before leaving.

Although she left empty-handed from two of the houses, she fled the home of an elderly woman after being confronted by her son, who was alerted by her usual carer due to her suspicions over Smith’s activities.

Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said the son arrived and asked for her credentials to prove she was a bona fide carer.

Although she then claimed she was only a trainee carer, she had no documentation and so made a bolt to flee the property.

It was only later the family discovered the card was missing and it emerged two unsuccessful attempts had been made to use it, at a bank ATM for cash and at a store for an item worth £33.99.

Mr Sabiston said in her dash to escape being caught, Smith lost a slipper, and it was several months later that she was arrested following forensic testing of the footwear.

The court heard that the 37-year-old defendant was temporarily living with her sister in Annfield Plain at the time of the offences, following her release from a previous sentence.

Smith, said to be of no fixed abode, admitted three charges of burglary and two of attempted fraud, by her failed attempts to use the bank card.

Appearing via video link from Low Newton Women’s Prison, near Durham, the court heard she has 19 convictions for 50 offences, including several previous burglaries of elderly people’s properties.

Jennifer Coxon, mitigating, said although there was no evidence Smith deliberately targeted homes of older residents, she accepted the fact that some were, was an aggravating feature of the case.

Miss Coxon said following a release from serving a previous prison sentence, in July 2015, Smith attempted to, “turn her life round”.

She hoped to complete qualifications to go into hairdressing and managed to remain drug free for a while.

But after the death of her mother, in November that year, she returned to substance misuse.

Miss Coxon said at the time of the offences Smith had taken a combination of tablets and had little recollection of events that afternoon.

“It was only when the victims’ statements were put to her that she could recall anything of them, and she’s highly remorseful, apologising for the trouble and stress she will have caused them.”

Judge Simon Hickey disagreed with Miss Coxon’s assertion that the elderly victims were not targeted.

“A summary of your previous offences reveals from an early age you have been engaging in burglary of dwellings and targeting elderly or vulnerable people in their homes.”

Jailing her for three years and four months, he told Smith the sentence would have been one of five years had she denied the offences and taken the case to a trial.