Former cleaner accused of stealing £30,000 of jewellery from employers
A former cleaner stole more than £30,000 of jewellery and ornaments from her employers, a court has been told.
Angela Evans, 55, of Bitterley, Ludlow, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court accused of two counts of theft – both of which she denies.
Opening her trial, prosecuting solicitor Mr Philip Vollans told the jury that Mrs Evans had worked at two farms near Bishop's Castle.
The court heard that Mrs Evans had worked for the owner of a Mr Sykes, for some five years and had gone on to work for his daughter, Angela Loder and her family after his death.
Mr Vollans said that in 2017 the family realised a number of items had gone missing from Mr Sykes' home, and that of Mrs Loder.
Thy included a pair of silver candlesticks, a brooch worth £25,000, a diamond ring worth £3,000, a claret jug, a diamond pendant necklace, and a silver fox.
Mr Vollans explained that Mrs Evans had been so valued that Mr Sykes had even wanted to give her £20,000 after his death.
He said: "So trusted was she at the time that there was an indication on Mr Sykes' death that he wanted to give her £20,000 as a way of thanks for her work during her time as a cleaner."
The court was told that she had left her job with the Loder family after being confronted over the missing items.
Mr Vollans said that a police officer who had been tasked with investigating the case then by chance recognised one of the missing items – a necklace – in the window of JH Berry jewellery store in Tenbury Wells on a day off.
He said: "He alerted other officers and police spoke to the jewellery story owner. He confirmed he had received a number of items over the last few months and while he had not received the brooch he had purchased the necklace and the silver fox that belonged to Mr Loder."
Mr Vollans said other items included the jug and a ring.
The court heard that the owner said they had been sold by the defendant.
Mr Vollans said: "He confirmed it was a lady called Angela Evans."
He added: "They knew one another, he had seen her on multiple occasions over eight years"
Mr Vollans said that receipts handed over to the police from the store bear the signature of a 'Mrs Evans'.
He said handwriting experts had compared them with signatures provided by Mrs Evans, and said there was a "strong likelihood that both signatures came from one and the same person".
He added: "Not only that, in addition to these experts providing evidence, Mrs Evans was also picked by the jeweller in an identity parade as the woman who sold them to him."
The trial continues.
