A THIEVING window cleaner who stole cash from a pensioner was caught in a covert police sting.

Mark Cornish, 40, was this week convicted at court after preying upon the 71-year-old man in Newcastle last year.

A court heard that last November 4, Cornish attended an address on Cookson Close in the West End of the city offering to clean his windows.

Cornish did the work but after he left the victim discovered £70 had gone from a safe.

Five days later police took a call from the same victim reporting his keys had been stolen from the address. Officers attended the property, changed the locks and installed covert cameras inside the address. They also planted £50 in fake bank notes.

Two days later Cornish returned and again offered to clean the windows before talking his way inside. The cameras caught him swiping the marked bank notes before leaving the property. He was arrested nearby and found in possession of the same fake bank notes stolen from the address just minutes before.

Cornish, of Fairholm Road, Newcastle, admitted three counts of theft and was given an eight-month prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday.

Following the case, Neighbourhood Inspector Dave Carruthers condemned Cornish’s actions and praised the hard work of the officers who investigated the case.

He said: “This was a fantastic bit of work by neighbourhood officers who were determined to safeguard a vulnerable victim of crime.

“They went above and beyond to use covert tactics that allowed them to catch Mark Cornish in the act and gather the evidence needed for court.

“He hand-picked his victim because of his vulnerability and he has shown no remorse for the offences he has committed.

“Cases like this are particularly callous as vulnerable members of the community who cannot always look after themselves are being specifically targeted.

“Mark Cornish was clearly trying to get cash to feed his drug addiction and I hope this case can help him turn his life around.

“I ask that anyone who have vulnerable relatives or neighbours, please look out for them and if there is suspicion they have been targeted give us a call.”

The judge agreed to suspend the sentence after Cornish entered a guilty plea and agreed to get help for drug addiction. He was also ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work, pay a victim surcharge of £149 and handed a five-year restraining order.