A MAN who stole £15,500 from his own grandmother after stealing her bank cards has been jailed for two years.

Shameless Scott Ryder even accompanied the woman – in her 80s – to the bank to 'help' her apply for a new debit card following a number of fraudulent transactions on her account.

The woman, who receives daily care, carried on using the same pin number allowing the 27-year-old to continue making unauthorised transactions.

Ian West, prosecuting, said the pensioner noticed on a shopping trip in January 2015 that her Yorkshire Bank card had gone and money had been stolen, so applied for a replacement.

“Unwisely she used the same pin number as with the old card," he said. "The defendant had access to his grandmother’s home and continued using it.”

Mr West added that the card was used 30 to 40 times to withdraw cash and pay for meals.

After his arrest Ryder, of David Road, Stockton, gave a series of ‘no comments’ in interview, prompting police to begin an investigation in which they cross-checked the location of his mobile phone against the location of the transactions.

They also viewed CCTV from a bowling alley which showed Ryder using his grandmother’s bank card.

Mr West said that £13,500 was taken using the first card and £2,000 from its replacement between June 2014 and March 2015.

“The grandmother said if she had been asked to lend the money she would have given it to him [Ryder]. Whether or not she would have gone to £15,000 is another matter.”

The court heard during Ryder’s offending, suspicion fell on the care company which looked after the pensioner in her home and it was only after the defendant’s admissions an employee was exonerated.

Ryder, who admitted two counts of fraud by false representation, was on bail when he committed the offences, having similarly defrauded other victims of cash and jewellery in a separate case dealt with magistrates in Northamptonshire.

The court heard how the defendant had been sectioned because of mental health difficulties and his self-esteem was low at the time of the offences.

His grandmother has since forgiven him and rebuilt her relationship with him.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, sitting at Teesside Crown Court, said: “[It] is a wicked series of offences.”

The judge said Ryder deliberately targeted his elderly grandmother, who lacked financial capacity, and abused her trust.

He jailed Ryder for two years, saying there was “no good reason” to suspend the prison sentence on him.