A dishonest handyman who stole jewellery and cash from elderly customers, including a 101-year-old woman, fell into a trap set for him, a court heard.

Suspicions had been aroused among neighbours about Michael Ward who worked in Chatham.

Dr Richard Woodford and his wife Michelle set the trap, placing cash around their home and told Ward, who had a key and alarm fob to their property, they were going away.

They told the 66-year-old former railwayman their cat did not need looking after as they would only be away overnight. But when they returned they discovered £60 was missing.

There was no sign of a break-in and their burglar alarm had not been activated.

Prosecutor Alex Rooke told Maidstone Crown Court: “The supposition, and reality as it transpires, was that the only potential thief was Michael Ward, as he was the only other person who had access and the ability to deactivate the burglar alarm.

“He used his insider knowledge to go in and steal.”

When arrested, Ward denied stealing from the couple and their cententarian neighbour Dorothy Moffatt.

“He denied everything, saying there was no way he would steal off Dotty Moffatt as he loved her dearly,” said Mr Rooke.

She had become concerned money was going missing from her home in the summer of 2015 and no longer hired Ward.

She realised three rings, one set with five diamonds and worth between £700 and £1,000, were missing.

Mrs Moffatt told police the deception had left her feeling “emotionally upset and betrayed”.

“I have known him for over four years and have grown fond of him,” she said.

“He always used to say I reminded him of his mum.”

Dr and Mrs Woodford discovered £900 of Euros had gone missing on three separate occasions from their home.

“Mrs Woodford thought she had been, to some degree, going mad,” said Mr Rooke.

“She was 82-years-old and would put them to one side.

“She later noticed the Euros were missing and put it down to her forgetfulness.

"But word of what had been going on with Mrs Moffatt reached the Woodfords’ ears and the penny dropped. They decided to set up a trap.”

A pawnbroker was to tell police father-of-four Ward was “a very good customer”.

Ward, of Defiant Close, Chatham, admitted four offences of theft between March 2013 and June 2015, and one of burglary in July 2015 shortly before he was due to stand trial this week.

Jailing him for 10 months, Judge Martin Joy said it was on Ward’s conscience as to whether he had maintained his innocence in the hope his victims would not give evidence and the prosecution would abandon the case.

He refused a request by Ward’s barrister to adjourn sentencing or not impose immediate custody so that he could attend his daughter’s engagement party this weekend.

“This was a thoroughly dishonest course of conduct and the only true mitigation is that you have pleaded guilty, albeit at this extremely late stage, and it would be inappropriate to suspend such a sentence,” said the judge.

Adrian Rohard, defending, told the court: “Unfortunately, the back story is that he was in the habit of drinking heavily and was having to find some way of funding that habit.

“For the most part he earned money from them but such was his drinking that he resorted to theft of the three rings on one occasion and the other thefts from the Woodfords.”

Mr Rohard said Ward had since stopped drinking after his wife gave him an ultimatum.