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Trusting war hero Raymond Whitwell believed serial thief Vincent Joseph Morgan was a man with good intentions when the 45-year-old offered to do his gardening in August 2020. The thief offered to work for £10 an hour and was initially paid £20 for two hours’ work.

In the weeks that followed he persuaded the pensioner to hand over his bank card so he could go to the cashpoint on his behalf and withdraw the small amounts needed for payment. But instead he took hundreds of pounds at a time.

The court heard widower Mr Whitwell was “upset and distressed” when he checked his bank statement and realised over £4,000 had vanished

When officers snared the crook they found Mr Whitwell’s commemorative war medal and commemorative Battle of Britain brochures stashed in his bounty.

Marte Alneas, prosecuting, told York Crown Court: “The defendant clearly abused a position of trust and deliberately targeted the victim on the basis of his vulnerability.”

Judge Stephen Ashurst said Morgan had blown the entire £4,240 stolen cash on drink and gambling.

“It is not only rare but very distressing indeed for a 102-year-old war veteran to be a victim of criminal offending,” he told Morgan.

“Mr Whitwell is someone well respected in his community – neighbours describe him in very complimentary terms.

“It is clear, that not on one occasion but on a number of occasions, over several weeks, you took advantage of what on any view was a vulnerable man.”

“Prison is inevitable. Those who offend against the elderly and vulnerable in society must expect to go to prison.”

Morgan, of Malton, pleaded guilty to fraud, theft and handling stolen goods shortly before his trial having initially denied the charge. He was jailed for 15 months.

The judge said he was pleased to hear that the bank had refunded the money so that Mr Whitwell, who is now 103, was not out of pocket.

Defence barrister Robert Mochrie said of the commemorative items found at Morgan’s home: “Vincent Morgan is absolutely appalled and ashamed by what he has done when he took those items in a drunken stupor, no doubt.”

He said Morgan had a “significant” alcohol problem, drinking two bottles of vodka a day, but since being remanded in custody, he had sobered up and now realised the seriousness of what he had done.

“The best mitigation in this case is the defendant’s guilty plea and his remorse,” added Mr Mochrie.

Mr Whitwell was part of the rearguard of the British Expeditionary Force as it retreated to Dunkirk in 1940. He eventually made it to the beaches, but too late to be evacuated and spent more than a week in occupied France before he was able to escape to Britain.

He returned to the continent after serving in North Africa and was part of the Battle of Arnhem in 1944 when he and his colleagues went nine days without food.

Following the war he opened his own shop in his hometown of Malton, North Yorks, as well as running several market stalls until he retired aged 90.

He was married to Iris for more than 40 years and the couple had three children, Paul, Tim and Jill, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

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