A CARE worker stole £600 from the severely disabled pensioner she was looking after in a "mean, despicable offence", York Crown Court heard.

The 66-year-old victim, who had recently come out of hospital, thought Emma Jayne Wright, 29, was a "nice girl" and that they had developed a "friendly relationship", said Simon Hickey, prosecuting.

But she kept telling him that she was short of money until he felt pressurised into giving her cash.

After he made her a £100 thank-you gift for her work, she stole £600 of his money.

"It is hard to think of a more despicable offence than that to which you pleaded guilty," Recorder Henry Prosser told Wright.

"You stole £600 from a man who trusted you and who was severely disabled, and you were being paid to provide care for him. You took advantage of your position of trust".

The judge added that normally Wright would have received a six-month prison sentence.

But because she had spent seven weeks on remand in jail, he gave her 12 months' community rehabilitation, and 100 hours' community punishment. He also ordered her to repay the £600.

Wright, of Foxton Grove, Muncaster, pleaded guilty to theft.

She asked for an offence of stealing £214.90 worth of ladies' clothing from Brown's, Davygate, to be taken into consideration.

The court heard she was convicted of two other shoplifting offences after the theft from the 66-year-old.

John Hitchin, mitigating, said she had a heroin problem and was therefore very short of money.

Updated: 11:52 Friday, September 14, 2001