Man who was "at mummy's purse" jailed after boasts

A son who stole thousands of pounds from his elderly mum to fund a gambling addiction was caught after boasting on Facebook he was "at mummy's purse again."

53-year-old Richard Lightfoot of Milford Haven, west Wales, was jailed for 14 months by a judge for "frankly despicable" behaviour towards his 84-year-old mother.

He was the live-at-home carer for his mum Rosina Lightfoot, but secretly siphoned off £24,000 from her bank accounts.

Cash was spent on everything from regular Chinese take-aways, an array of mobile phones and gambling on football matches.

He also spent money raised by secretly selling off his mum's gold jewellery for a fraction of what it was worth.

His sister Sally Jones called in the police after spotting posts on his Facebook page. His mum had also began to suspect her son after finding that bank statements had been opened before she saw them.

Rosina Lightfoot, who was not in court, previously said she didn't want her son jailed but hoped his arrest would "help him realise the problems he has."

Judge Peter Hopkins QC jailed Lightfoot as he appeared at court after admitting two counts of fraud and one of theft earlier this month.