Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Thief let out of prison
Appeal sees woman, 21, freed from jail in interim
A CARE assistant at Ninewells Hospital who was jailed for five months for stealing money from patients has been freed from prison after appealing against her sentence.
Shannon Mills, 21, of Inveresk Gardens, Whitfield, was granted her freedom in the interim until her appeal is heard in Edinburgh.
Mills had previously admitted three charges of theft from elderly patients in June and September last year and in July this year, stealing £95, £50 and £5 on separate occasions.
Her pleas of not guilty to five other charges of theft from patients in Ward 5 at Ninewells were accepted by the Crown.
Sheriff George Way jailed her last month at Dundee Sheriff Court but a spokesman for Mills’ legal team confirmed she had instructed them to lodge an appeal against her five-month sentence.
That was lodged on November 24 and will be heard in the Appeal Court in Edinburgh on a date still to be confirmed.
Sheriff Way jailed Mills after she admitted that on June 6 2016, at Ward 5, Ninewells Hospital, she stole £5 in cash from a patient’s purse.
She also admitted that between September 12 and September 15 2016, at the same ward in Ninewells, she stole £95 in cash from a purse.
And on July 4 this year, again at the same ward in Ninewells, Mills admitted stealing £50 from a patient’s wallet.
Depute fiscal Claire Rowan told the court the thefts from patients took place while Mills worked in the hospitral as a care assistant and the money was not recovered.
Solicitor Kris Gilmartin admitted it was “an extremely serious matter” and added that Mills had saved up some money to repay the stolen cash.
He said: “She has no previous convictions and is of good character. She has never been close to anything like this and her normal contact with the hospital was entirely caring for other people.”
Sentencing Mills, Sheriff Way said he would be failing in his duty to the public if he didn’t impose the strictest penalty after she stole from “very vulnerable people”.