Man who stole cash from vulnerable victim given last chance

Ricky Lear, 30, took advantage of the victim to steal the money but since committing the offences a year ago, Norwich Crown Court heard that he had moved away from King’s Lynn and managed to stay out of trouble.

Jude Durr, prosecuting said Lear stole cash on three occasions after visiting the victim in his home and said the money stolen was of substantial value to the victim, which he needed for his everyday expenses.

Lear, formerly of Gaywood, Lynn, admitted theft and assault and was given a 12 month jail sentence suspended for 22 months.

He was also given a drug treatment order to help him keep off drugs.

His barrister Claire Matthews said he had been addicted to Class A drugs at the time of the offences and homeless.

“He has a long standing drug problem with Class A drugs.”

She said that he had a history of carrying out acquisitive crime to get money for his drug addiction.

But he had now moved away from Lynn to Norwich and had not used Class A drugs for nearly six months.

She said he also had suffered a health scare with a blood clot.

“This has brought home to him how he has been abusing his body.”

She added: “He does not want to waste the rest of his life.”

She said that he had moved away from the people he had been mixing with in Lynn and was ashamed of his behaviour in stealing the cash.

Sentencing him, Judge Maureen Bacon told Lear that he had realised the harm he was causing by his drugs use.

“You can see the harm you caused. You are starting to wise up, if not it is your own life you are making a mess of.”

She said she was sparing him immediate jail so he could continue to try to keep off drugs: “It may well work. It has not in the past but it may in the future.

She also ordered that he keep away from Lynn during the order and also made a restraining order for him not to contact the victim in the case.

She warned Lear that if he breached the order he would face going into custody.