A cleaner who stole from her clients was sentenced on Monday (4).

Yasmine Alderman, 19, of Longfield Road in Harpenden, stole more than £3,000 worth of belongings from three homes between December and February.

She appeared at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on three counts of theft by employee and a charge of possessing a false identity document, which police found while searching her home.

Alderman, who worked for a cleaning agency, stole £2,455 of belongings from a husband and wife at their property in Harpenden between January 25 and 27.

The court heard the victims became suspicious when the man noticed that his sheepskin UGG boot slippers were missing.

He and his wife began noticing other items going missing, including a charm bracelet which was of significant sentimental value, and reported her.

Alderman also stole from a mother, father and their daughter at their home in Harpenden while working for them from December to February.

She visited their home on eight occasions and stole make-up and other personal items, but it wasn’t until the last visit on February 8 that the family noticed something was missing and reported Alderman to the agency.

A family and their au pair also fell victim, with Alderman stealing more than £500 worth of clothes, gift cards, perfume and other items stolen from their home in Harpenden.

Alderman’s home was searched by police where they found UGG boots and a bracelet belonging to one of the victims. This is when they also found a fake international driver’s license which Alderman said was given to her by an ex-boyfriend as a ‘joke’.

She pleaded guilty to all charges.

Mr Leek, prosecuting, said: “It’s a breach of trust. This person has been allowed into these people’s homes.”

Mr Cuneen, defending, said that Alderman was of previous good character, but was “placed in a period of turmoil” following the death of her father at 17.

He said that she fell out with her mother and moved to Norfolk with an ex-boyfriend before returning to Harpenden in recent months.

In regards to the fake ID, Mr Cuneed said: “Miss Alderman did not understand the seriousness of having an item like that.”

He added that Alderman had undiagnosed depression brought on by her father’s death and that she should seek bereavement support.

Upon sentencing, magistrate Mrs C L Turner said: “You have no previous convictions and are of previous good character. That good character is now lost.”

She continued: “These thefts occurred in the homes of people that trusted you in a manner that they will never forget.”

Alderman was sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work over the next year.

She was also ordered to pay compensation of £1,441.