A devious worker, who was grumpy to most customers, was always smiling to one pensioner who used the Rough Common sub post office.

Now a court has been told the reason why Richard Arnold was always cheerful to the 86-year-old - because he was ripping him off.

The victim, kindly ex–soldier William Howden withdrew £200 each week from the office where Arnold worked.

But secretly the scheming 53-year-old thief was pocketing up to £300 a time, even as Mr Howden was desperately fighting cancer.

And when police realised what Arnold was up to they discovered he had also pocketed another £4,500 from the post office.

Mr Howden, who died in August, had made a statement to police of the impact of the crime on him.

He wrote: “I have been in the army and have had three strokes. It is fair to say I have been through a bit!

“Since I have realised that someone I thought was nice and friendly, maybe responsible for stealing the money, I have been having nightmares.

“I feel completely and utterly let down by this man and am so angry I can’t put into it into words.”

Canterbury Crown Court heard how between September and December 2016 Arnold, of The Downings, Herne Bay, stole £950 from the pensioner.

And when it was reported the police, Arnold showed them numbers which he had written on a calendar in the sub office calculating how much he had pilfered!

But despite overwhelming evidence Arnold fought the case – hoping Police might drop charges now the victim was dead.

Arnold had claimed he was helping a Nigerian woman who had gone to Cape Verde where the authorities had taken her passport and she needed between £7000 and £8000.

He denied fraud and theft in breach of trust but was convicted by magistrates and sent to Crown Court for sentence.

Simon Taylor, defending, said Arnold had committed “this deplorable crime” after taking the wrong choice in helping his girlfriend.

Judge James O’Mahony told Arnold: “These offences were systematic, cynical and involved huge breaches of trust.

“You say you were sending this money to help a girlfriend in Cape Verde...there is no evidence of that other than your word...and I don’t place much credit on that!”

He said the suggestion Arnold was “some kind of Good Samaritan was just humbug and hypocrisy.”

“You got some of that money by swindling an 86-year-old. You were reported to be offhand and grumpy to other customers but cheerful and pleasant to him, whilst ripping him off.”

The court heard how Arnold had borrowed money from family members to repay the Post Office but the judge has ruled he has to pay Mr Howden’s estate £950 within six months of being released from jail.