Ian Bartlett and Rosemary Collier have been tagged after admitting stealing from an 86-year-old woman

by Paul Hooper and Alex Claridge

A thieving couple with a combined aged of 145 have become the oldest in Britain to be electronically tagged.

Ian Bartlett, 77, and his 68-year-old partner Rosemary Collier "plundered the wealth" of a very ill 85-year-old woman who regarded them as "good friends".

Now a judge has ruled the greedy pensioners should be electronically tagged – and prevented from leaving their home in Marine Parade, Tankerton, between 7pm and 7am.

But far from accepting they are responsible for a series of "despicable" thefts, Bartlett and Collier are portraying themsevles as victims of a skewed justice system.

Judge Michael O’Sullivan told the pair: "You should be ashamed of what you did. This lady trusted you implicitly. You plundered her account. Your behaviour can only be described as despicable."

Canterbury Crown Court heard how doctors had ruled stroke victim Patricia Hardy’s mental state prevented her from making decisions regarding her money.

But while she lay in hospital two years ago, Bartlett and Collier withdrew the maximum daily allowance from her bank, contacted lawyers to try to change her will and had her Toyota Yaris car signed over to them.

Their scam was discovered when nurses alerted police after spotting the couple – who have been together for 20 years - rifling through Mrs Hardy’s handbag and locker.

Detectives went to their home in 2010 and picked up a puzzle book – which Collier tried to snatch away. Inside the book were the couple’s attempts to forge Mrs Hardy’s signature.

Andrew Walklate, prosecuting, said detectives initially investigated what had happened to £17,000 of the victim’s cash.

The pair were later charged with stealing £12,341 and a trial was fixed for February this year.

Eventually the couple pleaded guilty to stealing £2,100 between April and May 2010 – after a solicitor’s letter revealed they knew of Mrs Hardy’s mental state.

They also admitted stealing the £3,000 car – which is still parked at Mrs Hardy’s house a year after she died at the age of 85.

Mr Walklate said: "The victim was in a deteriorating state between 2007 and 2010, spending periods in hospital. She needed her large garden tended to and Bartlett’s card was found in a local garden centre and he began working there in late 2007.

"In March the following year Mrs Hardy was introduced to Bartlett’s partner Rosemary Collier."

He said that Mrs Hardy’s niece Vanessa Barnato – who had cared for her aunt – was "surprised" to discover in November 2008 that she had given her bank card and cheque book to the couple.

Bartlett and Collier live at this house, left, in Marine Parade, Tankerton

Gardener Bartlett and Collier then took over paying some of Mrs Hardy’s care bills and other debts which amounted to £4,714 by April 2009.

Defending barrister Oliver Kirk said father-of-three Bartlett was a "hard-working gardener working for a variety of people in Whitstable".

He added: "But this was the exploitation of a vulnerable person who had been a trusted friend".

Nina Ellin, for Collier, said: "In the lead up to this offence there was kindness and affection shown to Mrs Hardy. She certainly didn’t deliberately find an old lady to abuse in this way. Things just seem to have run away with themselves."

The two were given 10-month jail sentences - suspended for a year - and ordered to repay the £2,100.

They were also given a four-month curfew – but will be allowed to attend a wedding of Bartlett’s grandchildren in September.

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'All we wanted to do was help'

Ian Bartlett and Rosemary Collier insist they merely set out to help an elderly lady and believe the tags strapped to their legs – most often used on young tearaways causing mayhem on Britain’s streets at night – are totally unjustified.

And they claim they only pleaded guilty to the thefts following legal advice to avoid a prison sentence.

Collier, a former caterer and nurse, said: "Our barrister said we should plead guilty otherwise we could end up inside for 10 months to five years. The Crown Prosecution Service was against us from the start and so it was our natural reaction to avoid prison.

"All we ever wanted to do was help Patricia. We would do everything for her. We would go out and buy her food, snacks and clothes and I would always show her the receipts.

"we only go out in the evening once a month and now we can’t even do that…” – tagged ian bartlett

"We didn’t take Mrs Hardy’s money, we didn’t try to steal her car and we didn’t write cheques to ourselves. A lot of the money went missing from her bank account when I myself was in hospital."

Both Collier and Bartlett wear the grey and black tags on their left legs. G4S, the firm at the heart of the security shambles at the London Olympics, operates the tags.

The tags mean the couple cannot even go into their garden during the hours of the curfew.

Bartlett said: "The tag is very uncomfortable and we’re going to be wearing it until November. We will be allowed to go to a wedding, however.

“We only go out in the evening once a month and now we can’t even do that.

“But the worst thing about all this is the fact that there was no evidence for what we were accused of – a lot of it was hearsay.”

Collier added: “Our efforts to help this lady have turned us into victims of a rough justice system.”