Nurse who stole more than £100k from patients jailed
A nurse has been jailed after he stole more than £100,000 from elderly and vulnerable patients.
Kelvin Ramasta abused his position of trust in a way that was "nothing short of horrific" while working at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, police said.
The 30-year-old of Perne Road, Cambridge, admitted three counts of theft at Peterborough Crown Court and was sentenced to four years and six months behind bars.
A Cambridge University Hospitals spokesperson said: "We wholeheartedly apologise to all of those affected by this appalling crime."
Ramasta first came to police attention after a bank reported suspicious activity on his account.
The bank claimed £102,000 had been transferred from another man to Ramasta, at the rate of £1,000 per day for more than three months.
Further checks found that Ramasta also opened a bank account in a 76-year-old man's name while working in Addenbrooke's Hospital.
The bank said the fingerprints matched those used to open Ramasta's own account.
The elderly man was in hospital and almost oblivious of what was going on around him, his family said, and he was later diagnosed with dementia.
'Nothing short of horrific'
Police said other patients at Addenbrooke's Hospital also reported thefts.
These included reports of a bank card and several cheques going missing, which belonged to a 74-year-old woman with Alzheimer's.
The woman died a week after she was discharged and the missing items were reported by her daughter.
Ramasta also tried to cash in one cheque when he was suspended from work.
He forged the elderly woman's signature and spelt her surname incorrectly, police said.
On the dates the cheques were written the woman was bedbound and suffering from multiple organ failure.
Police said she was incapable of holding a pen at the time.
Ramasta attempted to cash the cheque three times and used the card to buy £2.70 worth of food from a hospital vending machine.
He was arrested and interviewed on 4 May 2022 but initially denied the allegations.
A week later, police were contacted about a third victim, an 85-year-old woman whose bank cards were stolen from her purse and used.
The woman's family described her as extremely vulnerable and lacking mental capacity.
Checks by her family revealed her bank card had been used 11 times, between 18 April and 26 April to spend £203.29.
She had been on the same ward as Ramasta's second victim.
Det Con Mark Andrews said: "Ramasta targeted elderly and vulnerable patients in his care and abused his position of trust as a nurse.
"To steal money in this way is nothing short of horrific.
"The impact his actions have had on his victims and their families cannot be underestimated."
The daughter of Ramasta's third victim said her faith in the hospitals and their staff "broke in an instant", the detective said.
A Cambridge University Hospitals spokesperson said: "We wholeheartedly apologise to all of those affected by this appalling crime.
"As soon as we were alerted to the concerns, we took all appropriate action to safeguard our patients and worked closely with the police throughout their investigation.
"The safety and care of our patients is always our top priority."
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