A MAN has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for stealing £8,000 from a woman he called his "second mother". John Fennell is said to have stolen the money from a safe belonging to Lesley Wright, 62, of east Hull, to help pay a drug debt for another member of his family.
Hull Crown Court was told how Mrs Wright will struggle to trust anyone ever again.
A statement from Mrs Wright, read by Prosecutor Jhana Jobes, said: "I was left the money by my mother and wanted to leave it to my children. I cannot believe someone I trusted would do this.
"He said I was like a mother to him. I am devastated. I will never be able to trust anyone again after this."
Fennell, who was previously in a relationship with Mrs Wright's daughter, Naomi Paddison, was allowed to remain in the house despite the fact the couple had separated. He tried to cover up the theft by swapping the safe with a similar one.
Mrs Jobes said: "The defendant helped fix the safe in the house. Sometime in April, Mrs Wright had taken £2,000 out for a neighbour.
"She couldn't get into the safe in August and found out it had been glued to the wall and then noticed it came away. When it was taken to someone to access, it was found there was nothing in it."
Fennell was the only other person to have a key for the safe.
Mrs Jobes said: "Outside, she found a box of a new safe and under the bed the defendant was sleeping in, she found the old safe. The bed had been cut out and the old safe was there.
"He had gone to a lot of trouble to hide the safe. There was also a crowbar found under the bed."
Fennell, who appeared via a video link from Hull Prison, also pleaded guilty to the theft of a HTC mobile phone in May, and two counts of damaging car windows with a baseball bat.
Defending Fennell, John Thackray, said: "While this is a mean offence and a breach of trust, at an early stage he accepted responsibility.
"He still maintains his description of her as a second mother and he is full of remorse. He knows he let her down badly. If he finds work, he will repay her.
"He is still in contact with her daughter and he says they may renew their relationship in due course.
"There is no comfort in the reason behind the theft – paying a drug debt for another member of the family.
"There was a lot of pressure from family members about a debt. He became tempted and stole the money."
The father-of-two was sentenced to two years in prison for the theft of the £8,000 in the safe and was given a three-month consecutive sentence for the theft of the mobile.
Fennell was also sentenced to three months for each of the offences of damage to the cars – running concurrently.
Recorder Hirst said: "I have listened carefully to the mitigation. There has to be imprisonment. The theft of the safe was such a serious breach of trust."
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