Elderly woman betrayed by Warwickshire carer who stole her £30,000 diamond earrings

THE family of an elderly woman whose carer stole valuable jewellery, says she ‘abused’ their trust.

Barbara Joseph, known as ‘Bobbie’, was cared for by Dawn Chaplin for more than two years at her Alveston home. But Chaplin betrayed the 90-year-old by stealing diamond stud earrings said to be worth £30,000, before selling them for a fraction of what they were worth.

Chaplin, who admitted theft, avoided jail after being sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 8th November to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

The 57-year-old was also given unpaid work of 180 hours to complete within 12 months, 20 rehabilitation days and ordered to pay £5,000 compensation in monthly instalments of £100.

Mrs Joseph, who died in December 2022, was well known in the Stratford area as her late husband’s family founded the aluminium works and Stratford Canners on Birmingham Road.

Chaplin, whose address in court was given as Rope Walk, Alcester, cared for Mrs Joseph’s friend in Wilmcote and then after her death, went to work for Mrs Joseph.

Chaplin’s husband Jamie was also employed by Mrs Joseph as her gardener. Before marrying him in December 2020, Chaplin’s name was Dawn West.

Mrs Joseph’s daughter Jenny Leslau, who grew up in Stratford but now lives in Oxfordshire, said: “Mum really liked her and trusted her. When the jewellery went missing, she thought she’d mislaid it at first. She didn’t want to believe someone who was almost part of the family could do that to her.”

The diamond earrings were a family heirloom, bought by Mrs Leslau’s grandfather, Barney Joseph, in London’s Bond Street and handed down through the generations.

When Mrs Leslau’s sister, Susan Gareh, visited their mother in May 2022, she saw the diamond studs but six months later, they had vanished.

The sisters called in Warwickshire Police who launched an investigation.

This led to them tracking down a pawnbroker and jeweller who identified Chaplin as having brought in the earrings.

The earrings have not been found – it’s feared the diamonds have been split into smaller stones and the gold melted down for scrap.

Mrs Leslau added: “We’re angry, as it seems to have been greed that made her steal them.

“The earrings were still in their original Bond Street box when she took them to the pawnbroker to sell for cash.

“My sister is devastated, as they were a family heirloom to be passed down.”

She praised the police officer handling the case, PC Charlotte Davis, as “brilliant” and said it was only due to her persistence in gathering evidence, that Chaplin was caught.

Mrs Leslau said: “My mother was a very strong woman and had worked as a journalist, but she was elderly and wasn’t feeling well, so was vulnerable.

“Dawn was even in her will – that’s how much she trusted her but she abused all our trust.

“My mother paid her generously and was very kind to her.

“We’re very glad she was caught but our worry is there’s nothing stopping her from doing it again, as she doesn’t work through an agency. I hope this woman never again has the chance to work with elderly or vulnerable people.”

A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police said: “This was an appalling betrayal of trust and we hope the family have taken some comfort in the sentence. We would like to once again thank them for all their support throughout this investigation, and we are incredibly pleased that they are happy with the outcome.”