A thieving cleaner stole thousands of pounds in cash from a safe in a “vile, disgusting and low” theft after finding the hidden key by pure chance and shamelessly helping herself to the money inside.
Mother-of-three Rosie Osbourne had a gambling addiction at the time but the victims of the “despicable” theft claimed from seeing social media that she may have also been spending their money on extravagant birthday parties, mountains of presents, brunch days out, a food delivery service, gym memberships, weekend breaks, days out, lunches and childminders.
Her trusting employers eventually realised what was going on and set up a trap before confronting her in an anonymous message, Hull Crown Court heard.
Osbourne, 31, of the Greatfield estate, in Hull, admitted an offence of theft between December 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022.
Connor Stuart, prosecuting, said that that a woman and her husband, living in Holderness, employed Osbourne as a cleaner after she was recommended by friends. Osbourne helped in cleaning for the woman’s elderly mother, who suffered from dementia, and her stepfather. They had a “good rapport” with Osbourne.
The couple kept money in a safe, including cash from the sale of a caravan, a jet ski and a scooter. They did not tell Osbourne about the safe or that there was a key for it under a pot. The theft was discovered when the woman’s husband went to the safe in April 2022 to remove some cash and he saw that a plastic bag was open, things were scattered around and much of the money had gone.
His wife had not been in the safe. She began to suspect Osbourne.
Her husband set up a trap by taking a picture of the pot before Osbourne started work. He took another picture after she had left and it showed that things had been moved around.
He sent Osbourne an anonymous message saying: “I know what you have done. You have until 10pm to bring all the money back or the police will be called. The camera never lies.”
Osbourne sent a message in reply apologising and saying that she should never have done it and that it was a “vile” thing to do. She said that she did not know how much money she had taken but that she had £1,200, which she could hand over tomorrow.
The couple believed that £17,000 in total had gone missing but Osbourne disputed this, although she agreed that what she did was “disgusting”. She admitted that she had a gambling addiction.
The prosecution accepted a defence figure that the money stolen that could be directly attributed to Osbourne was no more than £5,000. The defence originally claimed that it was £3,000 but, after discussions, the agreed higher figure was later accepted. “The offences were committed over a sustained period of time and on multiple occasions,” said Mr Stuart.
The woman, now 53, later said that she originally thought that Osbourne was a “nice girl” and that she could trust her. Osbourne was rarely alone in the house but she had “clearly been rummaging around the house” while working there.
“I would describe myself as a nervous wreck,” said the woman. She and her husband would never recover from the theft financially. “It’s something we will never get over,” she said.
“We have had to change our lifestyle to recoup some of the money, which we know will never happen. She knew how bad my mum’s dementia was. I don’t know how anyone could do this under the circumstances we were in. I am stressed out and agitated every morning.”
The woman said that she had been upset to see on social media that Osbourne had seemingly enjoyed three “extravagant” birthday parties, “mountains of presents”, brunch days out, a food delivery service, gym memberships, weekend breaks, days out and lunches, and paying for childminders.
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Michael Masson, mitigating, said that Osbourne had debts at the time to utility companies. She pleaded guilty on the basis that the theft was limited to £5,000. “She was working as a cleaner and this was simply an offence of opportunity,” said Mr Masson.
“She became aware of the safe and she became aware of where the key was kept. She looked into that safe initially out of curiosity. She accepted immediately that it was a reprehensible decision to make. “Messages were exchanged. She immediately accepted that she had taken some money and apologised for it and offered to try to pay it back but there was a question of how much.”
Osbourne had no previous convictions but she had a previous caution and a reprimand. “She tells me that this offending is very much out of character for her,” said Mr Masson. “The toll of guilt that this incident has taken on her has been very significant. There has been no further offending.”
Osbourne worked part-time in a cafe but she also apparently still received benefit to support her earnings. She worked as a kitchen assistant and also carried out front of house duties three or four evenings a week.
Recorder Caroline Sellars said that Osbourne acknowledged that the theft was “vile, disgusting and low” and that there had been a breach of trust, which could not be over-stated. “There must have been some planning because there were multiple incidents where you took money,” said Recorder Sellars.
Osbourne was given 60 hours’ unpaid work and she was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation.
After the hearing, the woman who employed Osbourne as a cleaner told Hull Live that she had trusted Osbourne in their home. “I just think: ‘How can you do that?’ It’s despicable. She has admitted going into the safe three times. It could have been five or six.
“She regrets it now because she has been caught. She originally only admitted £3,000 but then it went to £5,000. We know that £17,000 went missing. We did solve the crime ourselves. To me, every day, she was spending our money. To us, it’s massive.
“From October to April, she was working for us. I have never got another cleaner and we won’t ever get another cleaner.”