A callous nurse who illicitly accessed £6,500 belonging to an elderly dementia patient under his care has been sentenced to prison. Rexy Reyes, a 52-year-old nurse at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, stole the victim’s bank card from a locker he had access to and withdrew the funds over 22 consecutive days, as revealed during a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Reyes received an 18-month jail term for his actions. The victim’s nephew expressed a loss of trust in the healthcare system due to the incident, noting that the patient, who was in her 70s, has since passed away.

Judge James Sampson characterized Reyes’ behavior as a despicable act driven by greed and exploitation of a vulnerable individual. The judge emphasized the breach of trust and the negative impact on public perception of nursing professionals.

The court learned that Reyes took the card from the patient’s purse while she was hospitalized at Queen’s Medical Centre. He made the withdrawals using an ATM without surveillance, exploiting the victim’s dementia and the easy access to her PIN number.

The theft was uncovered when the victim’s nephew discovered the unauthorized transactions in her bank statement after she had been discharged. The nephew, Mark Norman, highlighted his diminished trust in the healthcare system as a consequence of the incident.

In addition to the prison sentence, Reyes was ordered to compensate the victim’s family with £6,450 and cover prosecution costs amounting to £4,380. The defense mentioned the impact of Reyes’ imprisonment on his family, particularly his wife and 18-year-old daughter.