Thief who stole from Glasgow cancer patient found guilty

A woman's words from beyond the grave helped snare a cleaner who stole from her after she was struck by terminal cancer.

Clare Robertson was hired by Mairi Finlayson to help look after the house she shared with her husband in Glasgow's Jordanhill.

The 78 year-old later noticed two sentimental diamond rings had vanished along with £150.

The OAP alerted her daughter Lorna Smith, who also used Robertson to tidy her Jordanhill home.

The 45 year-old discovered her son's birthday money as well as a chequebook had also gone from her house.

Robertson was confronted - but shamelessly stated it was "always the cleaner" blamed for items going missing.

The 44 year-old denied the crimes during a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

Mairi sadly passed before she could give evidence.

But, the ill pensioner earlier give a statement to police which helped secure justice.

Robertson will learn her fate next month after being convicted of two theft charges.

She faces jail again after being locked up for copycat crimes in 2017.

Robertson was guilty then of stealing £20,000 of jewellery and cash from upmarket houses she worked at.

This latest court case heard how Lorna asked Robertson to help clean her parents home in April 2017 shortly after her mum started chemotherapy.

Robertson was working at the house for several weeks when things went missing.

Mairi sadly passed away from cancer of the womb last year.

But, she earlier gave a statement to police which helped snare Robertson.

In it, the OAP said: "I placed my rings in a box in my bedroom.

"I then noticed they were missing. Five days later, I told Clare and she said she would keep an eye out for them.

"My daughter and I searched the house.

"We then found one of the rings in a spare bedroom where it had never been placed before."

Mairi later discovered £150 of Turkish Lira was also gone from the same drawer the rings had been.

The pensioner alerted Lorna - before she learned cash from her home had also vanished.

Her son had earlier been given money for his birthday.

Lorna recalled: "I counted it before he left for a trip away - Clare was there that day.

"When he came back and went to buy something, he realised he was £40 short."

Lorna's 55 year-old husband Wallace also stole a chequebook to pocket more cash.

He told the trial: "It went missing and, when I was doing my accounts, I noticed £870 was taken from my bank account that I couldn’t make sense of."

Lorna sacked Robertson in July 2017.

But, the mum said Robertson appeared calm about the allegations.

Lorna recalled: "When I told her, Claire said: 'It is always the cleaner'."

Robertson's lawyer Gerry Grady put to Lorna the thief was not sacked and had quit her job as her mother-in-law had cancer.

But, Lorna replied: "No, not at all."

Robertson, of the city's Yoker, had denied the charges.

But, Sheriff Joseph Platt said: "I didn’t think the victims exaggerated. They were credible and reliable.”

Robertson had her bail continued pending sentencing next month.

After the verdict, Lorna said "justice had been done" for her late mum.

"I cannot believe someone would stoop that low to steal from an elderly woman suffering from terminal cancer.

"It is beyond shocking. I just hope that woman never works in anyone's house again where there's anything of value."

Her father Donald (79) added: "My wife is unfortunately not here...the money does not matter, it is the sentimental value of the rings.

"They were quite valuable and had five diamonds in each.

"My wife would never have sold them."

Robertson was jailed for 16 months in December 2017 for similar thefts.

She plundered goods from a number of houses including in Glasgow's west end and Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire.

Her victims then included a 75 year-old woman - who like Mairi - had rings taken.

The charges in that case occurred between June 2015 and October 2016.