NEWBURY — A Newburyport woman is in the house of correction after she was convicted of stealing jewelry from a Hay Street home where she was working as the caretaker of an 83-year-old man.
Karen Patten, 46, of 1 Charles St., entered guilty pleas on Nov. 19 in Newburyport District Court to one count of larceny of more than $250 from a person over 60 or disabled and one count of larceny from a building.
Judge Peter Doyle sentenced Patten to two years in the house of correction on the larceny from a building charge. On the charge of theft from an elderly or disabled person, Doyle sentenced her to a 21รขÑ2-year suspended sentence in the house of correction and five years' probation.
Patten was also ordered to pay $37,114 in restitution, to stay free of drugs and alcohol, and to obtain substance abuse counseling.
According to Newbury police reports, Patten was an aide in the 60 Hay St. home of Urs and Simone Dur. Urs Dur for many years was the owner and operator of the Newbury House of Travel on Pleasant Street in Newburyport.
Simone Dur traveled to Switzerland last March and, after her return, noticed several pieces missing from two jewelry boxes.
In April, she told police that nine items were missing; seven with a total value of $18,900 and two others of unknown value. She later told police she was also missing a one-carat diamond.
Newbury officer Joseph Anderson went to the Dur house, where he determined that there was no sign of forced entry.
Within a matter of days, Detective Aaron Wojtkowski discovered that Patten had pawned items of jewelry at Best Jewelry LLC in Seabrook.
Simone Dur confirmed that the jewelry was hers when police showed her photographs of the pawned items, and Patten was arrested on April 28.
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