Care worker ring theft case not proven

A case against a Filipino care home worker charged with stealing the wedding ring of an elderly resident was found not proven.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told Perth Sheriff Court there was not “sufficient evidence” to establish who owned a gold ring submitted as evidence by the Crown.

Virgillo ‘Bobby’ Montilla, 42, of Turleum Road, Crieff, had been charged with stealing a gold ring belonging to a resident of the Birches care home, Crieff, between December 20 2014, and February 6.

Caitlin Cumming, 24, a care home assistant at the Birches, said the resident’s wedding ring had gone missing and a widespread search took place.

However, a few weeks later she was outside having “a fag” with Montilla when she noticed he had two rings on, including a gold one she believed belonged to the resident.

“I had not seen Bobby wear the two rings before and was 100% certain this was the missing ring,” she said.

However, solicitor Nicky Brown, defending, said she felt there was no case to answer as the Crown had not provided sufficient evidence to convict her client.