A callous son brazenly raided his mother's savings and conned her out of nearly 32,000 in a desperate bid to feed his spiralling gambling addiction.

The money had "gone" with not a single penny repaid and her emergency fund for "ifthe roof caves in or something terrible happens" had disappeared.

Her stress had been unbelievable after he repaid her trust and kindness with the systematic fraud, a court heard.

Gavin Jezzard, 35, of Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes , admitted fraud between April 23 and July 4.

Eddison Flint, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court thatJezzard's 72-year-old mother discovered that he had spent more than 5,000 from her account on gambling.

There was an agreement between them for the cash to be repaid and no criminal charge followed but, when she checked her savings account, she found that her son had systematically stolen 31,940.

There were 71 withdrawals, including one for 1,850.

His mother had already loaned him 1,000 and then another 1,000 to "get him straight" and pay off debts such as council tax and water rates.

His mother later said: "The stress is unbelievable."

The savings had been for "if the roof caves in or something terrible happens" and she would now struggle if there was an emergency.

"Now it's all gone," she said.

She was on sleeping tablets and anti-depressants.

"She has tried to help him with his debts and he has repaid her with the commission of this offence," said Mr Flint.

The stolen money had not been reimbursed by Skipton Building Society and the matter had been taken up with the Ombudsman, adding to the mother's difficulties.

She did not want to see her son jailed.

"She doesn't excuse his behaviour and wants him to get help," said Mr Flint.

Craig Lowe, mitigating, said that Jezzard wanted to apologise to his mother for the heartache he had put her through.

"He gambled, he got addicted, debts racked up and it spiralled out of control," said Mr Lowe.

"He felt extremely bad for what he had done."

Jezzard had said: "I will do everything I can to repay the money. I regret my actions."

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He had now not gambled for more than three months but had not been able to repay any money so far because of a shortage of work.

Jezzard had no previous convictions.

Recorder Richard Thyne toldJezzard that he had broken the trust of his mother.

"That's a huge amount of her savings that she has worked hard to accrue over the years - gone," he said.

Jezzard was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 200 hours' unpaid work and 12 days' rehabilitation.

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The man who stole 32k from his own mother to fund gambling addiction - Grimsby Live