British National Health Service (NHS) worker Ayesha Basharat has been convicted for looting the bank card of an 83-year-old Covid patient to buy drinks and snacks within minutes of her death.
NHS healthcare assistant Basharat, 23, used the looted card to “buy crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks from a hospital vending machine” at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, on the 24th of January, according to an official statement from West Midlands Police.
The force reports that medics “recorded [the victim’s] time of death at 1:56 p.m. – but just 17 minutes later Basharat used the card to make six £1 purchases using the vending machine’s contactless touch pad.”
She made another purchase using the looted card later the same day, and tried to use it twice more on January 28th, but by that point it had been cancelled.
Birmingham Crown Court handed the criminal two five-month prison terms for theft and fraud by false representation, but decided they should run concurrently — i.e. at the same time — so that one of them was essentially meaningless.
Both sentences were suspended for 18 months, too, meaning she will not actually serve any time in prison unless she commits further crimes within that timeframe and a judge decides to activate them.
“This was an abhorrent breach of trust and distressing for the victim’s family,” commented Detective Constable Andrew Snowdon, investigating officer from the force’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
“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,” he recalled.
“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.”
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