A Bolton care home cleaner stole a bank card from a colleague – then lied to police by producing false statements to claim payments made were from her own card.

Joanne Cunniff took the card from a hairdresser at the Bright Meadows Care Home in Breightmet.

Bolton Crown Court heard she went to great lengths to disguise her criminality.

But the hairdresser realised items were missing and contacted her bank to be told a transaction had been made at Home Bargains.

She contacted the store who provided CCTV which showed Cunniff, a cleaner at the care home, making the purchase.

It later emerged £80 of items had been bought from Morrisons and B&M on another card that was taken.

But when spoken to by the police, Cunniff, 44, went to great efforts to hide her criminality.

Thomas Worsfold, prosecuting, said: “On October 4, 2022, the defendant was arrested and taken to custody.

“She asserted that she could prove that the transactions came from her own account.

“She sent screenshots purporting to be her own bank account.”

But this quickly caused suspicion among the police and she then provided an account statement which was also false.

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At court, Cunniff, of Bentley Street, the Haulgh, was sentenced after admitting theft, two frauds and perverting the course of justice.

Anthony Horsfall, defending, said: “The defendant has first of all entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity.

“She is of previous good character, until this point you would not have expected her to commit this sort of offence.

“She has split up with her partner of 24 years, that came as a consequence of this.

“She is the primary care giver of a child of 10 years of age.

“She is assessed as low risk.”

Judge Abigail Hudson said: “The message has to be sent out that those who pervert the course of justice will go to prison.

“Mr Horsfall has urged me to suspend that sentence.

“I am just persuaded that I can properly suspend that sentence.

“You could easily have gone down the stairs behind you.”

Judge Hudson suspended a sentence of eight months for a year and ordered her to attend 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days, attend at the women’s problem solving court and to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.