Husband Called Cops After Sleeping Wife Mumbled About Stealing From Wheelchair-Bound Woman

A man reported his wife to the police after she admitted in her sleep to having stolen £7,200 from a wheelchair-bound woman, whom she was meant to be looking after at a care home.

Antony Fort called the cops on his 47-year-old wife, Ruth Fort after she confessed to stealing money from a vulnerable woman and blowing it all on a holiday in Mexico.

Anthony said he had become suspicious after his wife splurged thousands during a family holiday to Mexico - but she dismissed his fears.

Just four weeks later, he was asleep next to his wife when he was awoken by her mumblings 'about money'. He said he later found the care home resident’s debit card in his wife’s purse and then called the police to report the theft.

Ruth appeared before Liverpool Crown Court last week, the Daily Mirror reported.

"I had my suspicions when Ruth began over-spending. It was more of an instinct really, at first. But when I found the debit card in her purse, I just knew. It was heartbreaking," the 61-year-old father of three said.

"I loved Ruth deeply, but I could not ignore what she had done. It was abhorrent to me that she could steal from a vulnerable person and I had to report her."

Ruth appeared before Liverpool Crown Court last week.

"One night, in August 2018, I picked Ruth up from work and she told me she'd taken one of the care home residents out shopping that day," Antony said.

"She said the lady, who was in a wheelchair, had 98k in her bank account. Something in the way she spoke just made my heart sink. I realized Ruth must have access to the card and pin number."

"There was no more to it, but I began worrying, even though I had no reason to. It was an instinct."

In Nov. 2018, the family was spending a holiday in Mexico when Antony raised concerns after Ruth began splashing the cash.

"Ruth booked lots of trips on the holiday. She was spending so much. When I questioned her, she claimed relatives had given her a thousand pounds spending money," he said.

"I wasn't sure whether to believe her."

Early in Dec. 2018, Antony woke to hear Ruth mumbling in her sleep. He said he found her purse on the floor, with four or five £20 notes falling out.

As he closed the purse, he said he noticed a debit card that belonged to the care home resident his wife had been looking after.

"Ruth was mumbling about money and when I woke up, I saw the purse on the floor with a few notes fallen out. I got up to put them back, and in her purse, I saw the debit card," Antony said.

"It all clicked into place, and I felt absolutely sickened. I couldn't believe it. When Ruth woke up, I confronted her, and she admitted everything. I told her to pack her bags and leave. It was heart-breaking, I loved her, and yet I knew I had no choice but to report her."

Later that month, Antony approached the police, and Ruth was arrested soon after.

"When the case became public there was a revulsion in our village. My family really suffered as a result. I had done the right thing and yet I was being judged alongside Ruth," Antony said.

Ruth appeared before Preston Crown Court in Feb. 2021 and admitted to stealing £7200 ($9822 approx.)

Court records stated Ruth had preyed on the elderly woman over a two-month period.

"The temptation here turned into greed, and you should be thoroughly ashamed of your behavior," the judge told Ruth before handing her a suspended jail sentence of 16 months, with conditions including attending drug rehabilitation sessions.

The judge did not forget to praise Antony for his 'commendable' actions. "It must have been a very difficult thing to do," she told Antony.