A thief targeted a pensioner who he knew was partially sighted so he could steal £420 of her dead husband’s savings.
Philip Maybury paid a visit to the home of the woman in Dyce and got inside after insisting that the 78-year-old knew his mum.
But instead the 47-year-old used the opportunity to snoop about the woman’s flat and make off with the cash, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson said Maybury visited the woman’s Berrywell Place home at around 10.45am on April 17 this year.
Victim has issues with eyesight
“The woman was within her home address watching television when there was a knock at her door,” the fiscal said.
“She opened the door however kept it on the security chain.
“She has issues with her eyesight so asked who it was.
“He replied saying it was him and that she knew his mum, as they used to work together. He said his mum’s name and on hearing this she let him into her property.”
Once inside, Maybury walked past the OAP and offered to make her a coffee.
Called on neighbour to help
“She heard him walking around the room and the flat and when she asked him what he was doing he replied that he was looking for the toilet,” the fiscal added.
The OAP eventually contacted a neighbour and asked them to come round.
“When the neighbour arrived the accused left saying he would be back and that he was going to get a photograph of his mum to show her,” Ms Simpson said.
After he left, the pair checked to see if any valuables were missing.
The fiscal added: “She had kept in her home a wallet that contained £420 in cash.
“This was money she did not intend to spend as it was money that her recently-deceased husband had made and it had sentimental value.
‘He’s thoroughly ashamed of himself’
“The wallet was still there but the money was gone.”
Police were called and found the woman “very distressed” but able to identify Maybury to them.
He was traced in Bucksburn three days later, at which point he spat directly in an officer’s eye after they tried to remove a phone from him in the police van.
Maybury admitted a charge of theft and assault.
His defence agent Gary Foulis said there was “little he could say in mitigation” but that Maybury was “thoroughly ashamed of himself”.
Released from prison just 16 days earlier
He added that his client had lost his mum a few weeks before the incident and was struggling to cope.
“He was in the grip of a street valium addiction at that time,” he added. “He did go to the friend of his mum and he admits his actions in taking the £420 as libelled.”
The court also heard how Maybury had only been released from prison 16 days prior to the incident.
Sheriff Ian Wallace handed Maybury, a prisoner at HMP Grampian, a total of 25 months imprisonment, of which nine are part of his previous unexpired sentence.
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