A WOMAN betrayed her elderly neighbour’s trust by stealing her bank card and using it for contactless transactions.

Blackburn magistrates heard that the victim had been diagnosed with cancer and was receiving end-of-life treatment.

She stated that because Lauren Davidson stole after being allowed into her home, she no longer trusted anyone.

Davidson, 35, of Linden Crescent in Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft, fraudulent use of a bank card, and criminal damage to a car.

She was given an 18-month community order requiring 30 days of rehabilitation activity and six months of alcohol treatment.

She was also fined £40, plus a £114 victim surcharge and £170 in costs.

Prosecutor Susheela Regala stated that the victim had previously been in a relationship with Davidson’s grandfather and knew the defendant as a result of this, as well as because she was a neighbour.

She said she didn’t see Davidson very often, but she’d occasionally knock on her door and ask if she needed anything from the shops.

“On this day, she allowed the defendant into her house,” Miss Regala stated. “She requested a glass of water and to use the loo.

“Later that day, the aggrieved’s daughter contacted her and requested that her mother check where her purse was. She had heard that the defendant was using the card.

The victim discovered that her purse was missing, and the card had been used for several transactions.

“The only person she had allowed into her property was the defendant,” Mrs. Regala claimed.

“This incident has shaken her greatly. She didn’t expect the defendant to act like this because they’d always had a good relationship.”

The criminal damage occurred after the defendant had a drink with the car owner at his home. As she was leaving, he noticed some missing items and confronted Davidson.

She denied taking anything before picking up a brick and throwing it through the rear window of his car.

Leigh Morgan, defending, stated that her client and the other woman were neighbours and friends.

“She hangs her head in shame because of what she did on that day,” Miss Morgan said.

She claimed that Davidson became enraged when she was accused of stealing from her ex-partner, despite the fact that she had taken nothing.

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