TWO men accused of conning an elderly cancer sufferer out of thousands of pounds of his pension money have walked free.

A jury cleared Lee Renton and his uncle Mark McCarthy of stealing almost £18,000 from the 79-year-old over three years.

The pair were found not guilty of four charges of theft at the end of a four-day trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Speaking after the verdict outside of court, Mr McCarthy said: “We are relieved but we knew we were innocent all along."

The men were said to have collected the pensioner's weekly allowance of between £120 and £140 - and kept all but about £20.

The prosecution claimed the alleged victim was told the 'Ministry of Pensions' had cut his money and he believed his friends.

The two Stockton men were also accused of stealing loans taken out in the old man's name and taking his winter fuel allowance.

Mr Renton, 29, of Carville Court, and Mr McCarthy, 48, of Etherley Close, had denied all four joint counts of theft.

During the trial, the jury heard claims the elderly man had made previous, unproven allegations against other people who visited his home to sit and drink cider.

Mr Renton, who was a heroin addict at the time, stated he gave the elderly man the full amount of his pension minus the cost of any shopping he had been asked to do for the pensioner.

And alcoholic Mr McCarthy said he was under the impression that everything Mr Renton was doing was above board, and that on the few occasions he had collected the pension, he had handed over the full amount.

When the pensioner was cross-examined by defence barristers, he often seemed confused, and repeatedly denied being an alcoholic.

He said he rarely had money to buy booze because the defendants stole it, but Mr McCarthy said they would often drink up to ten litres a day.

The judge, Recorder Tom Little, told the jury: “This was a case which featured human tragedy and the effect alcohol can have on people’s lives."