A former aged care worker at a respected southwest Sydney nursing home has been sentenced to prison after stealing nearly $18,000 from a vulnerable 89-year-old resident and a fellow employee.
Tracy Leah Salmon, 47, was employed at Carrington Care in Grasmere when she took advantage of her trusted position to commit a series of calculated thefts.
In February, she pleaded guilty in Campbelltown Local Court to a range of offences, including 41 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage, two counts of larceny and 16 counts of driving while disqualified.
The court heard that Salmon began targeting the elderly woman shortly after learning she had no power of attorney and no close family. While assisting the resident with paperwork, Salmon stole her credit card from her purse.
Over the course of two months, she made more than 300 purchases using “tap and go”, deliberately keeping each transaction under $100 to avoid PIN verification.
Salmon used the card to buy jewellery, fast food, sweets, cigarettes, alcohol, and even paid for an ear piercing. In one 24-hour period alone, she spent over $250 at McDonald’s. Many of the fraudulent transactions were captured on CCTV, with Salmon visibly wearing her Carrington Care uniform while making purchases.
When police confronted her with the evidence, including surveillance footage and receipts, Salmon initially denied the theft.
She then changed her story multiple times before ultimately admitting to the crime, confessing that she took the card while caring for the resident and disposed of it when it was declined during a later purchase.
Further investigations revealed Salmon had also stolen a credit card from a colleague’s handbag at the facility, spending $560 in just four days at local retail and convenience stores.
Magistrate Peter Thompson described the offences as a “significant breach of trust”, especially given the vulnerability of the resident and the betrayal of a colleague. While Salmon claimed her actions were fuelled by financial hardship, the magistrate dismissed this explanation, stating the crimes were clearly driven by greed.
Salmon also admitted to 16 offences of driving while disqualified, including being caught three times in one night by police at a McDonald’s in Campbelltown.
Taking into account her early guilty plea, history of drug use, and expressions of remorse, the court sentenced Salmon to 18 months in custody, with a non-parole period of nine months. With time already served, she will be eligible for release in August.
The case has sparked renewed calls for stronger safeguards in aged care settings to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable residents by those in positions of trust.
