0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cash, our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12But now the police are using cutting-edge technology
0:00:12 > 0:00:13to catch the bad guys.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16CCTV is gold dust.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- Great evidence for the police. - We have got to have them stopped.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Local councils, shops and businesses are fighting crime
0:00:22 > 0:00:24with their own tricks and traps.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27There's a eureka moment when you get that evidence.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31And the public are using secret cameras to make sure crooks
0:00:31 > 0:00:33get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35It makes me feel so angry.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37- He's paid the price. - He's been dealt with.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Yes! We've got her.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43So anyone who is up to no good had better think twice,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45they might just get Caught Red Handed.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Today...
0:00:52 > 0:00:56When Debbie suspects her elderly aunt is being fleeced by a thief
0:00:56 > 0:00:59in her own home, she and husband Danny turn detective
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and set up a nerve-racking stakeout
0:01:02 > 0:01:06involving two separate cars and live video pictures.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09He sat in his car, I sat in mine.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12When the villain is caught on camera pocketing cash,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15it's time to call the police and pounce.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20Danny was banging on my car window, saying, "We've got her."
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Also today, an armed robber
0:01:21 > 0:01:24with a knife gets more than he bargained for
0:01:24 > 0:01:26when he tries to raid a supermarket.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Not only does the assistant on the till refuse to hand over the cash,
0:01:30 > 0:01:34her colleague decides to put a dampener on his big moment.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42But first, cafe owners Michelle and Phil,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45who are trying to run a successful business,
0:01:45 > 0:01:50suffer at the hands of the same burglar twice in two nights,
0:01:50 > 0:01:51and it doesn't end there.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56To actually watch him come down the wall just gave me the creeps.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59The thief proves elusive.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Until he does a smash and grab burglary
0:02:01 > 0:02:03in full view of security cameras.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07I don't think he's collecting those bricks for his rockery.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20There is a secret garden hidden near the centre of Newport in Wales.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25It's at the back of a cafe run by long-term couple Michelle and Phil.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Phil used to be a civil engineer,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31but found himself working away from home for weeks on end.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33So, together with Michelle,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36he decided to take a life-changing risk.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Michelle really wanted to set up a cafe, so I said,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41"I can probably raise the money for the lease."
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Then one day, we found this place that had been closed for about
0:02:44 > 0:02:47ten months. And I just fell in love with it.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52They named the cafe after Michelle's favourite book
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and decided it needed totally renovating.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57They did all the work themselves.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01We made our tables and we made our bar.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05We hand-sanded floors and painted all the furniture.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07We didn't have any money at all.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I mean, we were haemorrhaging money when it first started, like,
0:03:10 > 0:03:11£1,000 a month.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16With the arrival of another mouth to feed, baby daughter Phoebe,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Phil and Michelle desperately needed their business to succeed,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23but their takings were about to be hit by an extraordinary series of
0:03:23 > 0:03:26burglaries, one night after another.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34It's early on a Friday in June, and Phil goes to open the cafe.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39I come into work in the morning, I saw the door was ajar,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and noticed the till was slightly open,
0:03:41 > 0:03:42but it didn't click straightaway.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45So I am getting on with my morning routine,
0:03:45 > 0:03:46trying to get everything done.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Phil checks the till and finds all the float money's gone.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I'm, like, "Wow, I've been robbed."
0:03:53 > 0:03:55And you're, like,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57you just want to swear or shout.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Then you feel a bit, sort of, vulnerable all of a sudden,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03which isn't nice. So I just phoned the police, phoned Michelle.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05It was just devastating.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08The feeling that came over me, I know it's not my home,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12but I spend more time in this place than I do my home.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13It was just a horrible feeling.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20Michelle discovers the burglar broke in through the back of the building.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Where the door is completely sealed with a five point lock and PVC,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28that's the last place I expected them to actually try and get in.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30It's not just the door that's damaged.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34The burglar smashed their security lights and a CCTV camera.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37He grabbed a broom, and he just looked up and saw the camera,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39and bosh.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42The police arrive but can't find any forensic evidence.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47However, when they check the CCTV,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50they discover it captured some valuable material
0:04:50 > 0:04:52before it was sabotaged.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53Just after 11pm,
0:04:53 > 0:04:58a shadowy figure is shown clambering down a wall into the garden.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03To actually watch him come down the wall just gave me the creeps.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07After checking the back door, the man smashes the camera.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12He's in the dark, nosing around my cafe,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14it just made me feel physically sick.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20But another CCTV camera inside the cafe picks him up moments later.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26He steals about £60 from the till and a bottle of whiskey worth £20.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32It's taken him 20 seconds to cause us that amount of distress
0:05:32 > 0:05:33and loss.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37But the theft is just the start of it.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The damage he left behind needs repairing,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and the bill comes to over £700.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46People think perhaps robbing a business
0:05:46 > 0:05:50rather than someone's home is a victimless crime, and it's not,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53because there's still a family behind that business.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54We have a little girl.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56And she had to go without that month,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00we all had to tighten our purse strings because we had to pay
0:06:00 > 0:06:02those things to make our business secure again.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07The single biggest outlay is getting a new £270 back door.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11The locksmith told us his repair was a completely sealed unit,
0:06:11 > 0:06:12and there was no way that anybody
0:06:12 > 0:06:14was going to be able to break in again.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Confident her cafe is now secure,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Michelle goes for a night out with friends.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23But towards the end of the evening,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26she checks her phone and gets a shock.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29There was a message from a neighbour, "The alarm has gone off.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31"Get to the cafe ASAP."
0:06:31 > 0:06:33She gets there as fast as she can.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35I felt so anxious,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I couldn't actually get my key into the lock
0:06:37 > 0:06:39to open the door fast enough.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43When Michelle gets in, she finds her worst fear has come true.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48Unbelievably, the thief has hit the cafe for the second night running.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49The intruder has gone,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53but so has all the float money in the till AGAIN.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Altogether, they've now lost over £1,000.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Just devastated when I opened the till again.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I couldn't believe it, because we paid so much to fix the door.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I just felt a bit stupid for leaving it there in the first place,
0:07:06 > 0:07:11although, you know, we were told that the building was secure.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15The police arrive, but just like the previous break-in,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17they can't find any forensic evidence.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21The next day, Michelle and Phil decide to join in the search
0:07:21 > 0:07:26to identify the burglar using the CCTV footage from the first raid.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I couldn't basically sustain another break-in.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34So after looking at the CCTV, we videoed it on our phones,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and we circulated that on social media to try and see if anybody
0:07:37 > 0:07:40recognised this guy.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44The cafe's well-known, and their plea for help has a quick result.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Literally, in a couple hours, somebody gave us his name.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Michelle passes the name onto the police,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and the case is handed over to PC Alex Mills.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59The officers that'd been to the cafe, looking at that name,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02were aware that that's somebody who's dealt with by my department.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Alex works in a unit that deals with prolific offenders.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09The footage was clear enough for one of my colleagues,
0:08:09 > 0:08:10who knows the person,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12to actually say that he was confident as well
0:08:12 > 0:08:14as the name that'd been provided
0:08:14 > 0:08:16that this was the person we were looking for.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19But knowing the thief's identity is one thing,
0:08:19 > 0:08:20catching him is quite another.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24We weren't able to find him at any of the locations that we had
0:08:24 > 0:08:28information where he might be, which was really frustrating for us,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30obviously, because we knew he was in the area,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33was still actively doing crimes, and yet we couldn't find him.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37So Phil and Michelle's cafe burglar is still at large.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44Later, Phil and Michelle decide to barricade their cafe just in case.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47But surely the thief won't strike in the same place a third time?
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- He does.- He'd still managed to open that door.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57With the wood underneath the handle, he still managed to pop it open.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Here's a contender for world's worst armed robber.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Pointing a knife at the shop assistant,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16he demands she fills his hat with money out of the till.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18But she flatly refuses!
0:09:18 > 0:09:21A brave reaction that surprises him.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25He rushes down to the end of the counter, and again demands cash.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28But again, the shop assistant refuses.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30The robber's flummoxed.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Please? No!
0:09:32 > 0:09:35The shop assistant's colleague is equally unimpressed,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38and throws a jug of water over the knifeman.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41The soggy scoundrel runs off empty-handed.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Police are on his trail.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Attempted armed robbery is a serious offence.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50But maybe this armed robber will think twice
0:09:50 > 0:09:52about a life of crime now.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Thanks to two brave shop assistants, he knows that he's not big,
0:09:56 > 0:09:57and he's not clever.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09There are nearly 12 million people over the age of 65 in the UK,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and that number is growing every year.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Many pensioners come to rely on carers,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and whilst most are honest, sadly, some are not.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25This woman is a thief, stealing from a defenceless elderly pensioner.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27She thinks no-one can see her.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30But they can. Thanks to a little electronic eye in the corner,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34we're all in the room with her, watching everything she gets up to.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Debbie and Danny live in the North London borough of Enfield.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Their children have grown up,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51so now it's just them and their three dogs at home.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56For many years, they looked after Danny's elderly aunt Ellen
0:10:56 > 0:11:00in her house nearby. Sadly, Ellen has now passed away.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Ellen was very proper, a very refined lady.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08She liked nice clothes, she loved gardening.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Gardening was her absolute passion.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Debbie's aunt Ellen had found a soul mate early on -
0:11:14 > 0:11:16her childhood friend and husband, Frank.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Ellen and Frank lived in the same house when they were kids.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24He lived upstairs, she lived downstairs.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28And eventually, they were sweethearts, and they got married.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31And they were married for 56 years.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33The couple both worked full-time.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35They didn't have children of their own
0:11:35 > 0:11:39but doted on their nieces and nephews, and each other.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41They lived in each other's pockets.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45And so when Frank died, it was a great loss to Ellen.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48And life changed very much for the worse for her.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Family members did their best to try and fill the void.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55She was always taken out to nice places,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58but it's not quite the same as having your partner around, is it?
0:11:58 > 0:11:59Day in, day out.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Their house became particularly comforting to her.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05She had all the memories of Frank around her.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10Through her 80s, Ellen overcame a series of serious illnesses.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12But then she had a bad fall.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15After weeks in hospital, she was allowed out,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17provided she got full-time care.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Because Ellen was so adamant that she didn't want to go into a home,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24that's when I made the decision to go and live with her.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Life wasn't grand, but we tried to make the most of it.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29We had a good time, we used to laugh a lot together,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and I used to try and brighten her days.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36But caring for Ellen 24 hours a day took its toll on Debbie.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37It was just too much.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39She was awake a lot during the night,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41and I needed the support of other people,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45so I could come home and sleep occasionally.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Debbie contacted a care agency,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and a rota was set up for carers to visit Ellen
0:12:50 > 0:12:52when Debbie needed a break.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56On the whole, 99% of them were really good at their jobs.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Debbie's husband Danny looked after Ellen's finances.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02She insisted on paying for things herself,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04so he made sure she always had enough cash.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Danny did Ellen's money reconciliations every week,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12and he would put the bulk of the money into an envelope
0:13:12 > 0:13:16in her bag and just some petty cash into her purse.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Ellen's care arrangements ran smoothly to begin with.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23But unfortunately, this didn't last.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31The problems started one February morning
0:13:31 > 0:13:34when Debbie arranged a treat for Ellen.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37We'd organised for a hairdresser to go to the house,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41who gave her a little bit of a spruce over, freshen her up.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43And when she came to pay,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46I gave Ellen the bag for her to take her money from the purse.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47And she said to me, "That's odd.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49"There's no money in my purse."
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Debbie also finds that the cash reserve kept in the envelope
0:13:53 > 0:13:56in Ellen's handbag is £100 short.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58She questions Danny about the discrepancy.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02We argued because I said that he was negligent
0:14:02 > 0:14:04with somebody else's money.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Was it perhaps Ellen asking the carers to take the money
0:14:07 > 0:14:10from the bag and put it somewhere else?
0:14:10 > 0:14:12We thought we'd wait until the following week
0:14:12 > 0:14:15to see if more money went missing. And it did.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21This time, they believe one of the carers must be stealing from Ellen.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26I felt so angry that the culprit would've taken from somebody
0:14:26 > 0:14:28so vulnerable. I felt betrayed, very much.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I felt I couldn't report it to the agency,
0:14:31 > 0:14:32because they'd start an investigation,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36and the culprit then would be given a heads up on what was going on.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37And I wanted them caught.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Danny and Debbie believed that the money's going missing
0:14:41 > 0:14:44sometime over the weekend.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47There are three carers who regularly work those shifts.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52To try to find out who the culprit is, they decide to buy a spy camera,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54which is hidden in a small clock.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Ellen wasn't aware that this camera was going in at all.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01If she'd known that somebody had been stealing from her,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03that would have been catastrophic for her.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Danny tops the money up in Ellen's handbag, as usual, on Friday.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11They set the clock camera going and wait to see what happens.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15On the Monday when we went back to the bag, the money had gone.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20And we ran furiously to the clock to see what it had recorded.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22And unfortunately, it failed.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24It didn't work.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26It was so, so frustrating.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28We were angry with each other.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31I just couldn't believe it just hadn't recorded.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Maybe they made a mistake setting up the spy cam.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37But they decide to try a different type of camera.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40This time in the guise of a loudspeaker.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44We took some advice on a camera that live streams to your telephone,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47so that you actually know if it's working or not.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52They leave the speaker camera on the bedside table,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55where it gives a clear view of any activity around Ellen,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57who's lying in bed.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Ellen's handbag is just out of shot to the bottom left of screen.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Outside the house in his car,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Danny is able to watch live video
0:16:07 > 0:16:09of what's happening on his mobile phone.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11As well as the camera recording,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13the couple are hoping the bank notes
0:16:13 > 0:16:16left in Ellen's handbag could also provide valuable evidence.
0:16:17 > 0:16:23We decided that we would take a note of the serial numbers of the money
0:16:23 > 0:16:26that we planted in the envelope on the Friday when we did
0:16:26 > 0:16:27the reconciliations.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29They inform the police about their plan
0:16:29 > 0:16:30and get a thumbs up to go ahead.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36On Saturday morning, they drive to Ellen's house.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Got there early to make sure
0:16:38 > 0:16:40that the live streaming was OK, and it was.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43It was fine. He sat in his car, I sat up in mine.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46The first carer arrives.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Morning, Ellen.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- Morning.- Sorry I'm a bit late.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55There's your tablets.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Danny and Debbie have come in separate vehicles,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59thinking they could block a carer's car in
0:16:59 > 0:17:02if one of them does turn out to be a thief.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Unfortunately, the first carer turned up on foot.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07So that thwarted our first plans,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10and set us into a bit of a panic because the police had told us
0:17:10 > 0:17:12that we needed to keep her there.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15If necessary, do a citizens arrest.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Not knowing which of the three carers is stealing
0:17:17 > 0:17:21means they could be spending a long time waiting in their separate cars.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23And only Danny's phone is getting
0:17:23 > 0:17:25the live video from the hidden camera.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27He's watching it, and I'm just sat like a plum,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29waiting to find out what's going on.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33And suddenly, Danny was running up the road towards me,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36banging on my car window, saying to me, "We've got her!
0:17:36 > 0:17:38"We've got her!"
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Debbie transfers the video onto her phone, and this is what she sees.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48The carer takes Ellen through to the bathroom.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53A moment later, she comes back alone.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54She is about to change the bedding,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58when suddenly she stops and reaches for Ellen's handbag.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01She thinks no-one can see her,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04but there's a hidden eye on the table that means
0:18:04 > 0:18:06that we can see what she does next.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11She quietly opens the zip, knowing Ellen has good hearing,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14and not wanting to give the game away.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17The carer goes straight to the envelope
0:18:17 > 0:18:18and takes two £20 notes out.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22She then has a look into Ellen's purse...
0:18:23 > 0:18:25..but doesn't take anything...
0:18:27 > 0:18:28..and puts it back in the bag.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33She carefully closes the zip
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and places the bag back where she found it.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44The carer then pockets the two £20 notes and leaves the room.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47My gut reaction was just fury,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50just absolute rage that she would do that.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54The carer comes back into the bedroom.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57She walks over to a chest and opens a draw.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03She's opening a purse that I didn't even know was in that drawer.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06This is going on actually in front of us.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09The adrenaline is pumping like you cannot believe.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14The carer puts the purse back in the drawer and goes to see Ellen.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Outside, having viewed the footage...
0:19:17 > 0:19:20..a shocked Debbie calls the police.
0:19:20 > 0:19:26She left the house on foot, and Danny followed her on foot.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28When the police arrive,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Debbie jumps into their car and they pick up the carer.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32She denies stealing the money.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36At that point, I was going a bit ballistic,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39telling the police the money is in that pocket.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I was so angry with her.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45And this adrenaline that goes through you is just churning.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49They search her pocket and find the two £20 notes.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Danny shows the officers the serial numbers he had jotted down,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54and they match those on the notes.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56The woman is arrested.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03In court, she was sentenced to eight weeks in prison,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05suspended for a year.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07She was also given a community order
0:20:07 > 0:20:10to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work
0:20:10 > 0:20:14and ordered to pay £165 in surcharges and costs.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Not surprisingly, she was fired by the agency.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27I was so pleased to see her go.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I was so pleased that she couldn't then go on.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33She was booked for more care sessions that day.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37I was just so glad that she wasn't able to do this job any more.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Debbie and Danny made sure Ellen's last days
0:20:42 > 0:20:44were as comfortable as possible.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Thankfully, Ellen never did find out what happened.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Unfortunately, a couple of months after we caught this carer,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Ellen desperately wanted to die.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56She'd had enough,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and she went and met Frank.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10There are millions of carers in the UK,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and very few of them are dishonest.
0:21:12 > 0:21:13But that doesn't mean people
0:21:13 > 0:21:17shouldn't take precautions when looking for help for themselves
0:21:17 > 0:21:18or their loved ones.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20What you'd do if you're hiring anybody,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23then they should come with their own DBS checks,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25which is the Disclosure and Barring Service checks
0:21:25 > 0:21:28to make sure there aren't any issues in the background.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30I don't think there's a case where you can never be too shy
0:21:30 > 0:21:33or polite when it comes to checking out potential people
0:21:33 > 0:21:35who are going to work in your home.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37We can feel that we shouldn't intrude,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39or that may be a little bit too much,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42but I always think you should find out as much as possible.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Go online, put their details in, their name, where they're from,
0:21:45 > 0:21:46that will return any information
0:21:46 > 0:21:48that might have been in the newspaper.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And you'd be amazed at what you can find out about them.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53It could be from any of the social media sites that you find out
0:21:53 > 0:21:55the life that they actually do lead,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58as opposed to the life that they're trying to tell you that they lead.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03I would thoroughly recommend that you actually go through an agency
0:22:03 > 0:22:04or even just check out a list of
0:22:04 > 0:22:07approved carers through social services
0:22:07 > 0:22:09or your local authority,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12which again just gives you that level of reassurance.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22Back to Newport,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25where the cafe run by Phil and Michelle
0:22:25 > 0:22:27has been burgled not just once,
0:22:27 > 0:22:28but two nights in a row.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34They've identified the man responsible by posting CCTV footage
0:22:34 > 0:22:38on the internet, together with the local knowledge of the police...
0:22:39 > 0:22:41..who are now hunting for the thief.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42But he's gone to ground.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Phil and Michelle are worried in case the thief comes back again.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The cost of any more burglaries could close their business.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Phil thinks he should guard the cafe throughout the next night.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59On Saturday, I decided to just come down and the neighbours said they'd
0:22:59 > 0:23:03happily come over and we'd sort of sit-in in the dark and stay here
0:23:03 > 0:23:04in case he turned up.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Maybe a bit an excuse for Phil to have a few drinks anyway.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10You know, we do drink some rum and make a lot of noise.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Not surprisingly, the burglar doesn't make an appearance.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19It was kind of a wasted evening, although I got the night out!
0:23:19 > 0:23:20In work.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25The following night, they take steps to deter the burglar again.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27We'd left lights on.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28We'd left music on.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31We put a big plank of wood behind the door handle,
0:23:31 > 0:23:32so he couldn't open the door outwards.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36We also barricaded the door with chairs, with big, heavy tables.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38He couldn't open the door physically,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41he would literally have to smash it open.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Hopefully, it would take him a lot longer and he'd get caught,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46it's just slowing him down.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The couple believe they've done all they can.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51But just a few hours later, the phone rings.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55It's their neighbour. For the third time in four days,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58the man's tried to break in again.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Just bolted down there in the car as quick as safely possible.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Thankfully, the neighbour had seen the man by their back door
0:24:05 > 0:24:06in the nick of time.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08With the wood underneath the handle,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11he'd still managed to pop it open.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15So if she hadn't made a lot of noise that she knew he was there,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17he would've been in again.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19At the police station,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22PC Alex Mills is trying everything to track down the burglar.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25We were putting out social media of our own to say that
0:24:25 > 0:24:28this person's wanted and that we're looking for them.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31We're checking not only the addresses in the local area,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34we're also tracking back to old addresses, old acquaintances
0:24:34 > 0:24:36and family, and we've tried all of that.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39And unfortunately, it didn't turn up anything for him,
0:24:39 > 0:24:40which was really frustrating.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44He was on the lips of every police officer in Gwent at the time.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48I mean, and I've seen them, they're quite a scary bunch of blokes!
0:24:48 > 0:24:51So I wouldn't be happy being him.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54It's just a case of waiting for that one call to say,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56"Somebody's found him," that last little piece of luck.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00And their luck IS about to change.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07A week later, in the early hours of the morning, a CCTV operator, Paul,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09is working at the council's monitoring station.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15He receives an alert about two men loitering in Newport city centre.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The call came in from the shopping centre security,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and it only took me seconds to pick them up.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Paul's an experienced operator with 16 years of service.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28He knows the suspicious signs to look out for.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32You can tell that they're not looking in shop windows for shoes
0:25:32 > 0:25:36or handbags, they're definitely after something.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38One of the men appears to look closely
0:25:38 > 0:25:40at the shutters of a jewellers.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Later, he starts prising out some loose paving bricks.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48That's not normal behaviour for this time in the morning.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I don't think he's collecting those bricks for his rockery,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55so I'm trying to get as much information as I can on camera -
0:25:55 > 0:25:58facial shots, clothing shots, anything that when it goes to court,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00if anything happens,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04then there is no discrepancy of who these individuals are.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Suddenly, the man throws the bricks at the glass front door
0:26:07 > 0:26:09of a shoe shop, triggering the alarm.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Paul calls the police immediately while the men walk away,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17probably to check if the noise has alerted anyone nearby.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22A moment later, one of the men goes into the shop,
0:26:22 > 0:26:23clearly up to no good.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27My job, then, is to make sure that I can track these people
0:26:27 > 0:26:30to be apprehended. You cue up certain cameras,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32make sure they're pointed the right way.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34The burglar leaves the shoe shop and runs down the road
0:26:34 > 0:26:36with the other man.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38He's stolen money from the till.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39We pick them up on another camera,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41which gets them going into the underground car park
0:26:41 > 0:26:43of the shopping centre.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Paul directs the police to the car park.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48And a few minutes later, they arrest the two men.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53When one of them tells officers his name,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57they find it's the same suspect Alex has been chasing for days -
0:26:57 > 0:26:59the cafe burglar.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Very good piece of work by the CCTV operator.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04It's, like, yeah, there, finally, we've got that.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Now the work starts - we've then got to deal with him,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11do the interviews for the cases that we've got against him.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Michelle and Phil are told the news
0:27:13 > 0:27:15that the burglar is in police custody.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Just an enormous sense of relief
0:27:17 > 0:27:22and also a bit of a victory that we'd all sort of pulled together.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25So a little bit triumphant when we heard he'd finally been caught.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34In court, the cafe burglar pleaded guilty to seven burglaries
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and two counts of theft. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43The other man with him in the street pleaded guilty to theft
0:27:43 > 0:27:47and trespassing and was sentenced to 60 days in prison.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Michelle and Phil are determined to take something positive away
0:27:54 > 0:27:56from their traumatic experience.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00What I have learned from all of this is the fact that we have got
0:28:00 > 0:28:02fantastic neighbours.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05We've got some really good friends on this street.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And they have big plans for the future of the cafe.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11We are kind of outgrowing the business now.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13We need a bigger place, and we've got the confidence to do it.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16We haven't got the money, but we've got the confidence!
0:28:16 > 0:28:17So hopefully, that'll be enough.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25That's all for today.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Thousands of criminals are captured on camera every year.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Make sure you join us next time to see more villains
0:28:31 > 0:28:33who've been Caught Red Handed.