A woman from Shillingstone has been left devastated after the carer she trusted to look after her husband stole precious jewellery and cash from their home. Rachel Goodman, 54, from Yeovil, was given a 12-month suspended sentence by Weymouth magistrates for stealing valuables from Louise Woollam’s home, where her husband Richard receives care.
Goodman’s sentence also included 12 rehabilitation days, 200 hours of unpaid work, a two-year restraining order, and orders to pay £1,000 to Mrs Woollam and £272 to the court. However, it emerged that Goodman had three previous theft convictions, including a suspended sentence in 2010 for a similar offence.
Mrs Woollam revealed that a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check did not expose Goodman’s criminal history. Magistrates condemned Goodman’s actions, stating: “You have wrecked Mrs Woollam’s life. Her trust and peace of mind have gone.”
The betrayal forced Mrs Woollam to make the painful choice to place her husband, who suffers from advanced Alzheimer’s, in residential care, a decision she described as “heartbreaking.” In her victim impact statement, Mrs Woollam expressed the emotional toll of the crime, highlighting that Goodman didn’t just steal possessions but shattered her trust and security.
“I welcomed her into our home, believing she was there to help us through one of the hardest chapters of our lives. Instead, she exploited our vulnerability,” Mrs Woollam said. She lamented that Goodman’s repeated offences showed a lack of remorse and compassion, and criticized the system that allowed her to keep working in care despite previous convictions.
Now campaigning for change, Mrs Woollam advocates for “Richard’s Law,” which would strengthen regulations surrounding carers in England to the level of those in Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. She emphasized the risks vulnerable adults face due to the current lack of mandatory qualifications, registration, and comprehensive background checks for private carers.
In a letter to her MP Simon Hoare, Mrs Woollam wrote: “People living with dementia are among the most vulnerable in society. Yet, private carers are neither legally required to be qualified nor registered. Convictions for theft from vulnerable adults may not appear on basic DBS checks. We should not be forced to accept unvetted carers for our loved ones.”
Mr Hoare responded by raising her concerns with the Department for Social Care and the Department for Local Communities, acknowledging the importance of her campaign.
In 2024, police recovered a 250-year-old necklace and some currency from Goodman’s home, but many invaluable items, such as Mrs Woollam’s gold and diamond engagement ring inherited from her mother and silver earrings from her husband, remain missing.
This case highlights the urgent need for stronger safeguards to protect society’s most vulnerable from exploitation and abuse.