Healthcare assistant turned criminal
Ayesha Basharat, a healthcare assistant at Heartlands Hospital, has been convicted following the theft of a dead patient’s card.
An 83-year-old patient died on a covid ward, but 17 minutes later, the assistant who had seen her through her final moments did the unspeakable. She took the late woman’s bank card and proceeded to use it half a dozen times on a vending machine.
Later in the evening, Basharat used the card again and tried the following day when she arrived at work. She was still in possession of the card when she was arrested by West Midland Police.
Basharat initially claimed she had found the card on the floor and simply got confused between the card and her own. However, the courts ruled that the two cards were different colours, and so it could not have been ill judgment.
She has since admitted to theft and fraud and will serve two consecutive five-month sentences, which will be suspended for 18 months.
DC Andrew Snowdon had the following to say:
“This was an abhorrent breach of trust and distressing for the victim’s family.
“They were having to come to terms with the death of a loved one from Covid when they found the bank card missing – and then of course the realisation that the card was taken by someone who should have been caring for her.
“Our Hospital Liaison Officer worked closely with Heartlands security team to gather evidence in this case. I’d like to thank them and the victim’s family for their support during the investigation.
“I wish the family all the best for the future and with this conviction hope they can move on from this upsetting episode.”
