Oswestry thief who stole £17,000 from grandparents to pay back JUST £10

Graham Thomas raided the bank account of Moira and William Benyon.

He wiped out almost half of their life savings between February and July last year after finding their card and pin number in his grandmother's bag.

But Thomas, 31, will repay just £10 because he has blown the cash on gambling.

Shrewsbury Crown Court was told he has no assets and can not therefore pay anything substantial back.

Thomas was jailed for 18 months by Judge Robin Onions at Shrewsbury Crown Court in April after pleading guilty to two offences of fraud.

Three separate transactions of £4,000, £6,000 and £4,000 saw monies transferred eventually into father-of-one Thomas's account, the court heard.

Thomas, of Sweeney Drive, Morda, who had lived with his grandparents for 10 years, also took £2,524 by withdrawing cash from ATMs on a number of occasions using his grandparents' bank card.

The defendant's mother, Olwyn Sides, discovered money was missing from her parents' account. At his sentencing in April it was heard Thomas was a gambling addict who used the money to fund his addiction.

During a proceeds of crime hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court, Miss Samantha Powis, prosecuting said a total of £16,526 was taken. But Thomas was ordered to pay only £10 within the next 28 days, which would allow him to pay the sum on his release. A confiscation order was made.

Recorder Martin Jackson told Thomas, who appeared via video link, that if he did not pay within the time limit he would face a further seven day prison sentence.

He said: "Simply because at this stage the available amount is £10 that does not prevent the prosecuting coming forward to ask for the available amount to be returned if it becomes clear you do have other assets."