Hospital care worker jailed after stealing bank cards from dying Birmingham patient

Rebecca Ellis stole the cards from terminally ill Fred Bromley after he was admitted to the QE last year

Rebecca Ellis was caught on CCTV using the stolen cards to buy biscuits
Author: Matt SoanesPublished 24th Sep 2021

A former hospital care worker has been jailed for nine months after stealing bank cards from a man as he laid dying in a Birmingham hospital.

49 year old Rebecca Ellis, from Smethwick, stole two debit cards from cancer patient Fred Bromley after he was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in February 2020.

She was later caught on CCTV using one of the stolen cards to buy biscuits at a WHSmith shops at the QE.

She went on to use them at various stores and also ordered over £120 worth of clothes from an online shop.

Mr Bromley's family cancelled the cards a few days later after noticing they were missing, but not before a large amount of money was stolen.

49 year old Rebecca Ellis was jailed for nine months

Ellis was arrested at her home on August 13 and refused to answer police questions about how why she was using a Nationwide bank card, despite never having an account with the bank.

She denied theft and fraud but was found guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court was jailed for nine months at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday (September 23).

She will never work in the car sector again.

Her victim - a former West Midlands Police Officer - died not long after the thefts at the age of 66.

Investigating officer DC Mark Bates said:

“This is a despicable and cowardly act bought about by greed and the total disregard for the suffering of Mr Bromley in his final weeks.

“Mr Bromley, on finding out he was a victim of fraud, was upset and disheartened as he trusted the staff at the QE Hospital.

“Mr Bromley died not long after the offence. His daughter Anna is quite rightly disgusted by the actions of Ms Ellis and welcomes the prosecution.”

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