A woman who swindled £40,000 from an elderly, vulnerable man has been jailed for 18 months.

Sandra Rowe, of Cumberland Avenue, Shepway, Maidstone, befriended Roy Crowhurst, now 80, in 2004 and became his housekeeper.

Believing her trustworthy, he gave her access to his bank accounts.

Over the course of a year, she took £40,000 from him. She used it to redecorate her house and buy a car, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

Rowe, 52, admitted 26 charges of theft in April and was sentenced this week.

Judge Philip Statman told her: "Over a considerable period of time you extracted from him amounts of money over and above those which you were entitled to by reason of services you performed for him.

“Having read the pre-sentence report, I am satisfied you have little real understanding of that which you have done. There are few signs of remorse contained therein.”

See the full story in this Friday's Kent Messenger