A thief who stole treasured jewellery from his friend's mother after she put him up when he had nowhere to live has been branded the "lowest of the low".

Kyle Mitchell, 23, betrayed Becky Wittingham's kindness by taking her jewellery while she was at the funeral of Gillingham stabbing victim David Young in February.

Mitchell, now of Upper Luton Road, Chatham, moved in with Ms Wittingham and her son Alex Darby, 21, of Parr Avenue, Gillingham, after she took pity on him.

Ms Wittingham, who suffers from a muscle-wasting disease and depression, said: "He was being evicted because he'd not paid the rent, but I had just offered to take in his kittens as he had two.

"Then I said if he didn't stay too long, he could stay in my spare room as I live downstairs because of my illness."

However, Ms Wittingham thinks Mitchell started stealing from her from the moment he moved in during November last year.

She added: "A pair of earrings disappeared and I just couldn't find them, I thought I was going mad at first and had just mislaid them. I even asked him if he'd taken them and he denied it."

Ms Wittingham, 41, gave Mitchell the benefit of the doubt and he continued to stay with her and her son.

Ms Wittingham is mostly housebound, but in February she wanted to support her partner at his cousin's funeral so left her home to go to the service.

However, when she returned Mitchell had taken his belongings and had stolen a bag of jewellery she had hidden at the back of a drawer.

Mitchell took a total of about £7,000 of jewellery from her home, including rings, bracelets, necklaces - many given to Ms Wittingham by her mother.

Mitchell also stole Alex’s Xbox and games.

"I felt sick when I realised what he'd done, completely gutted. How stupid was I to have let him move in...?" - Becky Wittingham

Ms Wittingham added: "I felt sick when I realised what he'd done, completely gutted. How stupid was I to have let him move in?"

Mitchell was arrested and charged with two counts of theft, but denied the allegations.

He was found guilty during a trial at Medway Magistrates' Court and appeared there again for sentencing.

Magistrates jailed him for 180 days for both offences.

Ms Wittingham added: "He is the worst person I've ever known. How he could do this to me and my son is beyond me.

"He is the lowest of the low. In fact, I only took him in as he told me his mum didn't like him and I felt sorry for him.

"I was pleased he went to prison for what he had done – but it's not long enough for me."