A NURSING assistant who stole bank cards from two elderly patients under her care and spending more than £3,000 for personal use has been jailed.

Trudy Jones, 53, of Rupert Brooke Drive, Newport, had been working at the Royal Gwent Hospital when two elderly women in their early 90s - who have both since died - came into her care.

The defendant, who had worked at the hospital for 22 years, had stolen money from one of the women's account to pay off personal debts and buy clothes.

The court also heard that Jones hoped that shopping would help with her "low self-esteem" after being diagnosed with cancer.

But prior to passing the 14-month sentence, Judge Thomas Crowther QC said: "Let's not use glossy magazine phrases - this was not retail therapy, this was theft."

The court heard that social workers for Evelyn Jewel had uncovered bank statements showing payments between February and March of this year.

Ms Jewel had died at the age of 94 at Tregwillym Lodge in Rogerstone, having been transfered from the Royal Gwent Hospital and St Woolos Hospital in Newport.

Prosecutor Jason Howells said that £210 had been paid to Moorcroft Group, who confirmed that the payments had been used to pay off Jones' mobile phone bills and other debts.

Further payments had been made to clothing outlets JD Williams and Simply Be, with the total amount taken standing at £3,164.65.

Jones was arrested by police on August 4, with officers finding the clothes she had bought in a bedroom at her home.

Mr Howells: "In interview she accepted full responsibility. She had cut up (Ms Jewel's) card and thrown it away."

Police also found the bank card of 91-year-old Esme Miller, whose card Jones had taken on the day she died at the Royal Gwent Hospital.

Mr Howells said Jones was going to return the card, which had no money taken from it, but did not do so.

A statement by Ms Miller's niece, Jayne Whitehouse, was read to court in which she described the ordeal as "upsetting and distressing" for the family.

"When someone is in the care of medical staff you assume she'd be safe and cared for and protected from harm," it read.

"We had expressed our thanks to staff for her care but that gratitude turned to dismay and disbelief.

"The family feel sickened by this whole experience."

Jones had admitted to one count of fraud and two counts of theft earlier this month.

Rosamund Rutter, defending, said her client had been in remission having been diagnosed with cancer in October 2016 but had returned to work this year.

"The impact of being diagnosed with cancer had a signficant and detrimental effect on her mental health during that period," Miss Rutter said.

"When she had the the all clear she was still suffering mentally. She felt she was in a bubble, in a very low mood and had extremely low self esteem."

Miss Rutter said Jones had found herself in financial difficulties but felt "too ashamed" to tell anybody, and instead turned to "retail therapy" by spending her own money.

Jones had made the "stupid mistake" in taking Ms Jewel's card, and that spending her patient's money had instead made her feel "much worse".

Miss Rutter said Jones had also become a carer for her husband, who had suffered a stroke and asked the judge for a sentence to be suspended.

Judge Crowther instead told the defendant that her "astonishing" behaviour was "so serious" that only a custodial sentence would suffice.

In relation to Ms Jewels, he said that Jones had "chosen her as a target" and used her card for her own means "again and again".

He said: "This was not an isolated incident. Esme Miller's family had found her purse open, and her stolen card was found at your house.

"You deliberately targeted a vulnerable group. 

"As a society we expect to be cared for in hospitals. This erodes public confidence in the public health service."

Judge Crowther added that Jones' actions threatened to "stigmatise the vast majority" of people working in the health service.