A GRANDSON “ripped up” his doting grandmother’s heart by his internet fraud on her, York Crown Court heard.

Joshua Paul Iles, 20, set up a banking app with her knowledge on her phone, said Rob Galley, prosecuting.

Then he borrowed the phone and used the app without her knowledge to transfer money to his own account and make other transactions.

When a cleaner was cleaning up a room that he had stayed in at a pub, they found a wad of £460 in banknotes.

Altogether, Iles took between £7,044 and £7,200 including £6,900 in eight transfers from his grandmother’s account to his.

He also used her money to pay for a £60.65 train ticket, a hotel and use of the GiffGaff mobile phone network.

Reading from a personal statement, Mr Galley said of the grandparents: “They always looked out for this defendant since he was a child.

“They doted on him and took him on holiday. They feel very bitter about his actions. She feels her heart was ripped up in relation to what he did with the money.”

Jailing Iles for 12 months, the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, said: “This is one of the most awful offences of theft.

“If I could give you more I would.”

He also told Iles: “It was a thoroughly mean and underhand offence against someone you should show love to, not contempt.”

Iles, formerly of the Selby area, and now of Ilchester Street, Dawdon, County Durham, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft and three of fraud by false representation.

Mr Galley said the bank had refunded some of the money, but not all.

The judge agreed to his request for Iles to face confiscation proceedings.

Iles will learn in June how many of his assets he must hand over at a special hearing.

For Iles, Tabitha Buck, said he had behaved out of character.

He had heard voices in his head telling him to take the money.

He was suffering from psychosis and post traumatic stress disorder and had recently been diagnosed with a personality disorder.

“He says that is the explanation for his offending behaviour,” she said.

She didn’t give the court any medical evidence of Iles’ mental health claims.

But she said he was receiving medication and that Iles’ social worker had confirmed the names of the drugs with his GP.

The judge said greed was involved.

Ms Buck said Iles was working with social services and had moved to live with friends.

He had not offended since.

Mr Galley said Iles carried out the theft and frauds in June.

His grandparents realised what he had done when they became concerned about the length of time he had the mobile phone.