Drug addict labourer stole from Coseley pensioner after she made him breakfast

She gave Richard Mills breakfast and lots of cups of tea while he worked at the house. He repaid her kindness by stealing a 50 year old engagement ring and 20 year-old eternity ring, both of which were 'priceless' to her because of their immense sentimental value.

Mills also took a watch and two silver chains, revealed Miss Sharonjit Bahia, prosecuting at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Then he sold them to buy drugs.

The defendant was a casual worker brought in for the day to help at the Coseley home of the victim on February 6.

The prosecutor explained: "He was the odd job man working with two others and spent much of the morning downstairs. The woman fed him breakfast and provided numerous cups of tea and biscuits. The defendant was then asked to clear up some rooms upstairs."

The carpet fitting team left at around 2pm and an hour later the occupant went upstairs. She was concerned to see a gold ring lying on the bathroom floor and her worst fears were confirmed when she found jewellery missing from her bedroom.

It later transpired that Mills, who had 31 previous convictions involving 71 offences, had also walked out wearing her husband's hat and carrying a pork pie taken from the fridge.

He struck two days after appearing before magistrates on an unrelated matter and reacted abusively when the people he had been working with rang to ask him about the theft. He was arrested for the crime on March 5 after being detained at a supermarket for shoplifting four bottles of gin.

The victim later told police he had abused her kindness but did not ask for compensation from him because she assumed he would just steal from elsewhere to raise the money.

Mr Jon Roe, defending, said Mills started taking drugs seventeen years ago and continued: "He bitterly regrets giving in to temptation. He was doing a days work when there arose an opportunity which he took because he needed a fix. He knows it was a breach of trust."

Mills from Florence Avenue, Lanesfield pleaded guilty to theft and was jailed for two years three months by Judge Martin Walsh who said: "This was a mean and despicable offence committed, no doubt, to fund your drug habit."