A HOUSEBOUND pensioner who dreamed of love through a lonely hearts column fell prey to a thieving drug addict and her boyfriend.

The victim, who is in his seventies, had already suffered a severe stroke and had chronic kidney problems when Julie Horsley, 35, answered his plea for companionship.

She visited him on several occasions, but also drove her partner Mark Lockerbie to the pensioner’s Poppleton home when he was out.

She then kept a look-out while her boyfriend raided it and drove off with the loot.

Then she forged cheques torn out of the pensioner’s cheque book and tried to get £1,700 out of his bank account, David Brooke, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, told Horsley: “As far as your relationship with the complainant, it is not for me to pass judgement on the circumstances in which you made it.

“But I bear in mind the complainant had poor health at the time and I read that it has deteriorated since. “Maybe the stress and anxiety of these proceedings has not helped.”

About her claims that Lockerbie had forced her to carry out the crimes, he said: “There has been a degree of exploitation by your co-accused, but I also came to the view you provided a degree of mutual support to each other.”

He jailed Horsley for six months and added nine months to the two years and nine months Lockerbie is currently serving for burglaries and other offences in the Durham area.

Horsley, of Spruce Court, Shildon, County Durham, and Lockerbie, 36, of Temperance Avenue, Shildon, County Durham, both admitted burglary and three offences of fraud.

Mr Brooke said the pensioner was unaware of the couple’s activities until he suffered a second burglary, unconnected to them. Police investigating it discovered Horsley’s chequebook fraud – and when they raided Lockerbie’s home over other crimes, they found items from the Poppleton man’s home.

For Horsley, Ruth Cranidge said Lockerbie had threatened her. Horsley was trying to conquer her long-standing drug addiction and she also had alcohol problems.

For Lockerbie, Joanne Kidd said he was trying to kick his drug habit and when Horsley drove them to York, he believed she was taking him to see her father.