NURSE Alison Firth was beginning a life sentence last night after being convicted of murdering an elderly patient at a North-East nursing home because she simply could not be bothered to look after her any longer.

During an extraordinary 16-year career marked by laziness and deception, Firth held at least 27 jobs, falsifying references and making up elaborate lies including a claim she had been raped, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Firth had denied the allegations and even told detectives: "You'll never get a conviction."

But the jury heard evidence that Firth, the mother of a four-year-old girl, overdosed 84-year-old widow Alice Grant using a strong sedative in a Gateshead nursing home simply to avoid having to look after the great-grandmother in her difficult final days.

Mrs Firth, 36, had admitted giving the Alzheimer's victim a sedative known as Heminevrin, on the day of her death in May last year - but denied murder.

The court had heard from former colleague nurse Joan Lilley that Firth had an "appalling" appearance at work. Another former colleague, Susan Leadbitter, described her as lazy.

A post mortem examination revealed that Mrs Grant had died after an overdose of Chlormethiazole, a drug she was not prescribed.

Staff had raised the alarm about Firth after the room Mrs Grant died in had smelled strongly of the drug.

Mrs Grant's son, retired railwayman Tommy Grant, 64, said he had not liked Firth.

"I thought that being in a nursing home meant my mam would be completely looked after," he said. "I never dreamed something like this could happen."

Detective Superintendent Chris Symonds, who was in charge of the investigation, said: " We came to the conclusion that Alison Firth was an accomplished and compulsive liar.

"She was arrogant in the face of extremely serious allegations, but now she will have time to reflect."

Police had investigated the deaths of two of Firth's other elderly patients at Aidan House residential home in Bensham, Gateshead, owned by the North-East comedian Bobby Pattinson.

The body of Rose Mares, 87, was exhumed. The other woman, Isabelle Rickerby, 73, was cremated. Police could find no evidence that the women had been murdered and abandoned the investigation.