Walsall prostitute stole from vulnerable client to fund addiction

The man became infatuated with mother-of-three Toni Shepherd after paying her for sex on several occasions, prosecutor Mr Phillip Brunt told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

The 24-year-old took advantage of the situation and on two occasions burgled his home with male aides taking valuable items including his prized Xbox and 50in television.

On two separate dates Shepherd took the victim's iPhone which he had to replace three times as a result of her criminality.

Shepherd, of Dorsett Road, Darlaston, was given a 30 month jail term at Wolverhampton Crown Court after admitting two counts of burglary and two of theft.

Judge Amjad Nawaz said to Shepherd: "You befriended this man and you must have quickly spotted that he was ripe for the taking.

"You abused that relationship and stole his property on a number of occasions and you did that because you were a drug addict and you needed to fuel your addiction."

The client, who has a learning disability and dyslexia, began having sex with Shepherd in December.

Mr Brunt said the victim called her his girlfriend and believed himself to be in a relationship with her.

She first capitalised on the situation by taking two men to his home and demanding his Xbox, which the court heard he spent a lot of time playing.

When he refused to hand it over, one accomplice held him down while the other seized the games console, valued at £500, and an iPhone worth £150.

The relationship was such that the client continued to see Shepherd. And when a replacement phone was delivered to his home, she signed for and stole it. Ten days later she took another replacement phone.

The final burglary took place just days later when an accomplice forced his way into the home and took a 50in television worth £600.

Mr Brunt said: "The victim knows that he has been taken advantage of and he thinks it is because of his learning disability. He feels used and abused and is angry."

The court heard that Shepherd was spending between £20 and £30 a day on heroin.

Defending, David Swinnerton said Shepherd turned to class A drugs aged 18 while in a relationship with the father of her children.

Although the drug abuse stopped through her pregnancies, it started again after the third child was born. She was then encouraged by her ex-partner into prostitution to fund the habit.

Mr Swinnerton said: "She accepts he was vulnerable and that she took advantage of him."

A restraining order was issued preventing Shepherd from contacting the victim.