A Colchester woman who repeatedly pestered a vulnerable 67-year-old man for money and took him to a cashpoint when he didn’t have anything to give her has been jailed for 30 months.

April Carter was jailed for 16 weeks and banned from contacting the victim or going to his home in the town in November 2019, after harassing him for money.

However, two months later, following her release from prison, she started pestering him again, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

He gave her £90 and £70 on two consecutive days in January last year and, three days later, when she asked him for more money, he sold his phone for £50 at Cash Converters and gave her the cash, said Isobel Ascherson, prosecuting.

On February 23, Carter asked for more money and took the victim to a cashpoint to withdraw £180.

On February 25 and 26, the victim gave Carter £100 and £20 and on March 2, she repaid £10.

After the police became involved, Carter had tried to get him to withdraw his statement and had given him her phone to make the call, said Miss Ascherson.

A few days later, she asked him for £20 and took him to a cashpoint to withdraw the money when he said he didn’t have any cash.

The court heard that on February 23 this year, Carter went to the home of another vulnerable man in his 60s who was partially sighted and had learning difficulties.

She arrived at the property late in the evening and, after pushing her way in and asking for money, stole his bankcard - which she tried to use at a Co-op store, said Miss Ascherson.

Carter, 27, of Mulberry Avenue, Colchester, admitted witness intimidation, two breaches of a restraining order, burglary and attempting to use a stolen bank card

Gavin Burrell, for Carter, said his client’s parents had been drug addicts and alcoholics and she had grown up thinking that was normal behaviour.

“It’s fair to say she didn’t have a safe and secure upbringing,” said Mr Burrell.

He said Carter was now clean of drugs and appreciated the harm she had caused to the victims of the offences.