THE manager of a care home has spoken out after a former carer was jailed for stealing jewellery from residents. 

Ellie-May Hinton, 28, stole bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings worth thousands of pounds during a theft spree in 2020. 

A court heard she did so to fund her cocaine habit. 

On Tuesday, Hinton was jailed for two years at Southampton Crown Court.

Judge Christopher Parker said she had stolen from "some of the most vulnerable people in society". 

READ MORE: Netley carer stole residents' jewellery to fund cocaine habit

Gill Irish, general manager of Netley Court, said this was an "isolated incident".

She said: "Ellie Hinton was DBS checked and her work history and references were fully checked before we employed her.

"As soon as we became aware of the theft in October 2020, she was immediately dismissed.

"We have worked closely with Hampshire Police, the Safeguarding Team at Hampshire County Council and the CQC to ensure that we handled the situation appropriately and sensitively.

"We kept the relevant residents and their families up-to-date with the developments on an ongoing basis."