Blog

Oct 16, 2024

Cleaner says 'I know I've f****d up' after what she was seen doing on secret camera - Liverpool Echo

A light-fingered cleaner stole thousands of pounds worth of gold and jewels from an elderly couple. Ashley Birch, 38, was caught on camera rummaging through her elderly victim's jewellery box after

A light-fingered cleaner stole thousands of pounds worth of gold and jewels from an elderly couple. Ashley Birch, 38, was caught on camera rummaging through her elderly victim's jewellery box after the woman's carer became suspicious and installed the secret lens.

Birch had been hired as a cleaner for Alma Igoe and her husband, who suffered from dementia, after Mrs Igoe suffered a fall in March this year. The Peachy Clean employee, of Dacre Court, Birkenhead, attended the couple's home for four weeks before Mrs Igoe went to retrieve her engagement ring from a box in her bedroom and found it had disappeared. The "vulnerable" lady had temporarily removed the ring after her fall, as the wrist injury she suffered had caused her hand to swell.

A number of other pieces of jewellery were missing, including a ring that belonged to Mrs Igoe's late mother. She reported the disappearance to her carer, Jo Turnbull, who had CCTV installed in the couple's bedroom. The next time Birch visited the house, she was caught on camera searching through Mrs Igoe's jewellery box.

She appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, pleading guilty to theft. Desperate text messages, sent from Birch to Ms Turnbull after she was confronted about the missing jewellery, were read to the court

She wrote: "Look, I know I've f****d up and I'm truly sorry. Everything will be back by the end of next week, I'm sorry." She also said: "It's my mess and I done it", adding that she would pay to get the stolen jewellery back as she had pawned it in Birkenhead.

On July 1, Birch's mother returned a ruby ring belonging to Ms Igoe, but did not return her engagement ring, or a ring which had been given to her by her late mother. Approximately £3,700 worth of jewellery remained missing, including a gold ring with rubies and diamonds on it, a diamond solitaire, and gold earrings.

In a statement, Mrs Igoe said: "Having found out what Ashley has done to me and my family after we trusted her, me and my family have been left in disbelief. I have not told my husband about the theft as I don't believe he would he able to trust anybody ever again. My husband is vulnerable and suffers from dementia, therefore I have been so emotional thinking about how a person could do this to us.

"I have found myself feeling very upset and crying numerous times. Ashley's actions have left me with no trust in people. I dread strangers coming to my home. I'm paranoid when I can't find things, thinking Ashley may have taken them. I don't think I could ever let another cleaner into my home as I'm too scared of them."

Birch, a mum-of-three, has eight previous convictions for 13 offences, including six counts of theft. John Weate, defending, said: "The offence occurred during a time she was in a relationship that was creating financial and emotional hardship. She had to care for three children and the temptation of securing additional funds is what led her to the offence. As a consequence of the offending, she now lives alone.

"The family relationship is difficult. She's the mother to three children. She doesn't have the care of those children because of historical matters. Her young daughter has been adopted and the second child under 18 is living with his father.

"She suffers from anxiety and depression and she has been the victim herself of a history of domestic violence incidents." He added that she had been assessed as being a low risk to the public.

The judge, Mr Recorder McBride, said: "This was a despicable offence which the court takes seriously. Mrs Igoe hasn't even been able to tell her husband because of his difficulties. She has suffered her mental health. She can't trust strangers to come to her property because of you.... In terms of your own personal matters, I'm told this was at a time when you were in your own hardship. That was no excuse to take from these people."

He sentenced Birch to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He also ordered 15 rehabilitation days, a 12 month mental health treatment programme, and three months curfew.

* Peachy Clean Wirral contacted the ECHO after this story's publication to state that Ashley Birch was never employed directly by them, but had been contracted to do work on the company's behalf. They state she continued to work for some clients outside of Peachy Clean and was not working under the Peachy Clean brand when the offences took place