TWO burglars targeted a dying woman, stealing her rings worth more than £5,000 just weeks before she died.
Jordan Holbrook, 19, and Nicholas Groom, 21, distracted vulnerable people in their homes to steal money and property.
Judge Mark Bury described their actions as "despicable" as he locked them up.
Hull Crown Court heard the pair went to the home of John and Eileen Blyth in Fifth Avenue, Bridlington, in August and offered to carry out some guttering and painting work over four days.
They waited until Mr Blyth left to collect some shopping before they burgled the property while his cancer-stricken wife was in bed.
They stole four rings, worth more than £5,000 and of great sentimental value, bank cards and identity documents.
The rings were taken to a pawn shop and have never been recovered.
Mrs Blyth died five weeks later from breast cancer. Before her death, she gave a statement to the police telling them how she had seen the pair in her home and they claimed they were getting a glass of water.
Judge Bury told them: "Mr Blyth trusted you to work at his home while he went shopping, leaving his terminally ill wife in bed. You repaid that trust by stealing from him."
He said the rings were to have been passed on to family members but had been melted down for £140.
The judge said: "There's no evidence you knew her precise illness but it must have been apparent she was not a well lady.
"Put yourselves in Mr Blyth's position, looking after his terminally-ill wife in her last days and he has to put up with this trauma of having her rings stolen from him. It is outrageous behaviour."
Between August 28 and August 31, the pair also targeted a 100-year-old woman in Eighth Avenue, Bridlington.
They went to her home three times, asking for money, to use the toilet and for a drink.
While inside her house, they stole from her handbag.
The pair, both of no fixed address, were arrested on August 31 and blamed the crimes on each other.
However, they both pleaded guilty to two burglaries at Hull Crown Court.
Serial burglar Groom, who had only been released four weeks previously from a previous burglary sentence for targeting a pensioner and was on licence, was jailed for four years and three months.
Holbrook was locked up for three years and two months.
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