A HEARTLESS thief stole £1,300 from the bedroom of a man who had suffered very serious injuries in a horrific motorcycle accident.
She hid a cash tin containing the money in the man's garden during the "mean and callous" theft – but returned just before 1am to retrieve it, a court heard.
Rebecca Gray, 29, of Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes, admitted stealing £1,300, belonging to Brett Rothenburg, on October 7.
Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Mr Rothenburg suffered very serious injuries in a motorcycle accident in 2002. He received a large compensation payout last year.
There had been a previous theft where a man he trusted and considered to be a friend stole £30,000 cash from him. The thief had not been prosecuted and Mr Rothenburg had not wanted that.
Mr Rothenburg, 36, had been keeping money for renovations and other purposes in a bedroom cabinet.
Gray and her boyfriend Marc Wilkins visited Mr Rothenburg. Mr Wilkins was returning a laptop that had been loaned to him.
Gray said she wanted to use the upstairs toilet but went into Mr Rothenburg's bedroom and stole the money. He became suspicious when he heard footsteps in his bedroom and went upstairs to investigate, passing Gray as she returned downstairs.
He discovered that the cash box from a bedside table was missing.
Mr Rothenburg asked where the money was but Gray denied knowing anything about it.
Mr Rothenburg searched the garden and grounds in vain. He asked to "pat down" Gray and Mr Wilkins but did not find anything.
It was later discovered from security pictures that Gray had hidden the cash box containing £1,300 in foliage in the garden at 10.51pm – and returned just before 1am to retrieve it. Jonathan Spicer, mitigating, said Gray claimed the theft was impulsive and not planned.
She had suffered heroin problems but had no previous convictions.
Unemployed Gray was given an 18-month supervision order, including six months' drug treatment. No compensation was requested by the prosecution or ordered.
