THE daughter of a woman who was robbed in her home while facing terminal cancer has spoken out.

Lorna Smith said "justice had prevailed" after Clare Robertson from Yoker was found guilty of stealing from her mother, who died before the trial ended.

Yesterday we reported that Robertson, 44, was hired by Mrs Smith to clean her house in Jordanhill, but was also hired by her mum Mairi Finlayson to help look after her home she shared with her husband while she underwent chemotherapy treatment.

The 78-year-old noticed three sentimental diamond rings had gone missing, along with £150, during Robertson’s employment and alerted her daughter, who later discovered she had also been robbed by the cleaner.

Read more: Yoker cleaner Clare Robertson faces jail over theft from elderly cancer victim

Speaking after Robertson was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Mrs Smith described how the “callous” thief had comforted her mother as she wept over losing the jewellery.

She said: “It has been quite difficult and very upsetting knowing that my mum is no longer here. Trying to think about all these things brings back memories of just how devastated she was.

“She could not believe how callous Clare had been. Clare even patted my mum on the back while she was crying over losing the rings and told her they would ‘show up eventually’. She looked her in the eye knowing what she had done.

“My mum was shocked and disgusted anyone could do such a thing. She had never had anyone steal anything from her in her life and had people work for her all around the world.”

Mrs Smith, 45, said Robertson was friendly with the family and would often eat lunch with both herself and her parents in their home.

Mrs Smith added: “Initially, I went to the police because we had a company cheque book go missing and it wasn’t until we did our accounts that we noticed there was a cheque for £870 cashed.

“We got in touch with the bank to get a copy. Unfortunately, the bank was unhelpful with the police because it was the lowest threshold, which set the investigation back.

“Within weeks of her being there, she had taken stuff from my parents’ house. My mum told me she had misplaced the rings but my dad mentioned he had money missing. I said we haven’t noticed anything but would keep an eye out.

“I mentioned to Clare my mum had been so upset that it had been her mother’s engagement ring, her auntie’s engagement ring and her uncle’s gentlemen’s ring that had a diamond in it that had gone missing.

“The two engagement rings would have had diamonds in each. They were of significant value, but it was more the sentimental value.

“We kept looking and looking, and eventually one of the rings appeared back in a place it should never have been in, a place where we had already looked.”

Mrs Finlayson died from cancer of the womb last year but had earlier given a statement to police that helped snare Robertson.

Mrs Smith said: “I’m very grateful to the police officer who first came to see us. He was disgusted someone had come into her house, while she was frail, and stole from her and had the audacity to come back and look her in the eye.

“My dad is glad it’s all over. One never gets over something like this that someone could stoop so low.”

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Robertson, of Yoker, had denied the charges.

But Sheriff Joseph Platt said: “I didn’t think the victims exaggerated. They were credible and reliable.”

Robertson had her bail continued pending sentencing next month. She was jailed for 16 months in December 2017 for similar thefts.