Formby pensioner's home ransacked by homeless man.....

A homeless man who ransacked a pensioner’s home in Formby after he gave him a place to stay was spared jail.

Michael Blackburn, 24, of Lawler Street, Litherland, first befriended 73-year-old Keith Bradley online.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Mr Bradley had not seen him for about 12 months when he knocked on his door on June 2 last year.

Derek Jones, prosecuting, said Blackburn explained he had been thrown out of his mum’s home and asked if he could stay with his friend.

Mr Bradley took pity on him and said he could live with him while he got himself back on his feet, because otherwise he would have been homeless.

But on June 27 the victim was contacted by his credit card company, who notified him of unusual transactions, and he discovered Blackburn had spent £1,000 on a gambling website.

The defendant left a note apologising to the OAP, which read: “I’m sorry Keith for what I’ve done.”

However, he returned on July 1 and Mr Bradley again took pity on him because he was still homeless.

Mr Jones said the pensioner took a short holiday on July 11.

He returned on July 14 and discovered that Blackburn had left with his laptop, two TVs, a radio and a coin collection worth more than £3,000.

He called the police after totting up more than £5,000 of losses and the defendant handed himself in on October 10. He later admitted pawning the items.

Mr Bradley said he felt “betrayed” and upset because he had fed Blackburn, washed and ironed his clothes and given him a home.

Blackburn, who pleaded guilty to theft, had previous convictions for shoplifting.

John Rowan, defending, said his client’s gambling addiction was the root of his problems.

He said Blackburn had since turned his life around, started a new relationship and got a job and was “making efforts to deal with the evils in his life”.

Recorder Richard Wheeler said Blackburn had breached his victim’s trust and it was such a serious offence that it crossed the custody threshold.

But the judge handed him a 45-week sentence, suspended for 18 weeks.