Photo: Getty Images
In what seems like something out of one of Shakespeare's plays, a husband turned his wife in to the police after hearing her speaking in her sleep about a crime she committed.
It happened when Ruth Fort, 47, woke up her husband Antony, 61, by mumbling in her slumber about money. The incident occurred a few weeks after Ruth spent thousands of dollars on a family vacation to Mexico. The trip set off alarm bells for Antony, but she dismissed his suspicions. However, after hearing her sleep-talking, he started investigating and discovered in Ruth's purse the debit card of the wheelchair-bound woman Ruth was hired to look after. He then reported his wife, whom he married in 2010, to the police.
He told The Mirror, "I had my suspicions when Ruth began over-spending. It was more of an instinct really, at first. But when I found the debit card in her purse, I just knew. It was heartbreaking. I loved Ruth deeply, but I could not ignore what she had done. It was abhorrent to me that she could steal from a vulnerable person and I had to report her."
Antony, who lived with Ruth in England, explained he had been wary of her behavior for a few months, starting around the time she began her work as a caregiver. He said, "One night, in August 2018, I picked Ruth up from work and she told me she'd taken one of the care home residents out shopping that day. She said the lady, who was in a wheelchair, had 98k in her bank account. Something in the way she spoke just made my heart sink. I realized Ruth must have access to the card and pin number. There was no more to it, but I began worrying, even though I had no reason to. It was an instinct."
A few months after that was the trip to Mexico, then came her sleepy confession. He stated, "It all clicked into place, and I felt absolutely sickened. I couldn't believe it. When Ruth woke up, I confronted her, and she admitted everything. I told her to pack her bags and leave. It was heartbreaking, I loved her, and yet I knew I had no choice but to report her."
Last year, Ruth was given a suspended jail sentence of 16 months with required drug rehabilitation sessions. In the end, she stole nearly $10,000 from the woman in her care. Meanwhile, the judge praised Antony, calling his actions "commendable" and noting it "must have been a very difficult thing to do."
Ruth was back in court this month for skipping her rehab sessions and missing a meeting with her probation officer. The judge gave her another chance by imposing a curfew on her but warned that if she breaks any other rules she'll be put in prison. As for Antony, he said, "My anger has subsided now, and I want to help her. I feel as though the system has failed us so far."