A BELOVED grandson broke his grandmother's heart by stealing thousands of pounds from her in the last months of her life, York Crown Court heard.

Jack Alexander Langley, 31, spent money he got in two raids on her bank account on buying cars and other items, said Rob Galley, prosecuting.

But when he tried to increase the amount he was taking in a third raid, a bank manager realised something was up and stopped him.

"I thought he loved me," the grandmother told other relatives before she died.

Reading a statement from other family members, Mr Galley said the grandmother "wouldn't have a bad word spoken" against Langley.

"She trusted him. When she found out what he had done, she was heart broken."

Langley's actions had contributed to the deterioration in the grandmother's health, the statement said.

Defence solicitor advocate Abbi Whelan said Langley was devastated by the grandmother's death as she had been "as a parent" to him.

"That is how you repaid her," the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris. "You broke her heart.

"You richly deserve to go to prison. If it was just you I would send you down these stairs straight away."

But Langley had a four-year-son with major medical problems.

"If I was to send you down now, he would lose his home and getting him to his medical appointments would prove difficult.

"I cannot have that on my conscience.

"Don't think you are getting a suspended sentence because I have any sympathy for your present state. I haven't."

The judge suspended a 12-month prison sentence for two years on condition Langley does 300 hours' unpaid work.

Langley, of Bunting Drive, Tockwith, pleaded guilty to a £14,000 fraud.

Mr Galley said Langley took the grandmother's chequebook and used it to write cheques for himself. He had two for £4,000 paid into his bank account totalling £8,000.

But when he wrote out a third for £6,000, the bank manager realised the signature was a forgery and stopped it.

Challenged by a family member, Langley denied stealing the chequebook, but later confessed to police. He said he had been concerned about his son's health.

Ms Whelan said Langley had been short of money and had rent arrears.

He had used some of the money to buy a car that had needed £1,000 spending on it and had a scrap value of £200.

He now drove a car for which his company had lent him money but he had had to pay some himself.

He had hoped to put some money in an account for his son, said the solicitor advocate.

Langley had twice had brain tumours successfully removed, but had been told that if they reoccurred there was now nothing doctors could do.

He had also bought a tent for a family holiday at Scarborough.