A woman who conned an vulnerable man into giving her thousands of pounds has been jailed for four and a half years.

Lacey Absalom, 22-years-old, of no fixed address, convinced her victim, a man in his 60s, to hand over cash to her on a number of occasions in 2014 and 2015 in Ramsgate.

Absalom convinced the victim that they knew each other and started visiting him, sometimes with other people, giving various reasons as to why he should give her money.

On one such occasion she told him he should hand over his savings to her or risk losing his benefit allowance.

The victim said Absalom could have taken around £5,000 from cash boxes and wallets in his home.

Absalom then starting accompanying him to banks where she would con him into withdrawing £500 each time.

A friend of the victim contacted police after they saw her leave his house and became suspicious.

Investigating officer DC Steven Tring said: "Absalom preyed on a man who is considered vulnerable, by coming across as friendly while she continued to steal from him.

"His victim believed he was doing the right thing in helping a supposed friend in need of money, and didn’t feel he could say no to her demands.

"We estimate Absalom could have taken thousands of pounds from this gentleman over a prolonged period of time, showing just how manipulative and callous an individual she is.

'She hounded her victim and lied to him, all for the benefit of her own greed' - DC Steven Tring

"She hounded her victim and lied to him, all for the benefit of her own greed.

"Thankfully the victim has some genuinely good friends who stepped in to stop the thefts and I commend them for their actions.

"It can never be underestimated the damage people like Absalom can inflict on those who are considered vulnerable.

"We continue to work to protect them and ask if you suspect your friends or family members are going through something similar, report it on 101."

Absalom pleaded guilty to four counts of theft at Thanet Magistrates’ Court.

She appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday where she was also sentenced for an unrelated count of robbery in Canterbury and a shoplifting in Folkestone.

In total she was sentenced to four years and six months in prison.

Absalom, along with 28-year-old Victor Chandler, of Whitstable Road, Canterbury, carried out the robbery during the evening of July 16, last year.

A man in his 30s and a woman in her 40s were walking along a path which runs along the River Stour near Kingsmead in Canterbury when Absalom approached them and asked for cigarettes before attacking the woman.

The male victim struck up a deal with Absalom and Chandler and said if they stopped attacking his friend, he would give them money. He offered them loose change but Absalom demanded he go to a cashpoint where he gave her £70.

The pair were caught on CCTV and identified by local officers, leading to their arrests.
Chandler was sentenced to four years in prison at Canterbury Crown Court after he was found guilty of being Absalom’s accomplice in the robbery.

DC Kelly Snowden, who investigated the robbery, said: "One of the victims was stamped on and bitten during the robbery and it was- understandably - a horrific ordeal for both victims to come to terms with.

"Chandler and Absalom are two nasty individuals who need to learn you can’t take other people’s property."