A CARER who could not afford to pay back a payday loan stole a gold ring from an 85-year-old man he was looking after, a court has heard.

Dominic Adams, 20, of Playford Lane, took out a £500 loan and stole the ring after interest charges increased the amount he owed to £2,500 and he was threatened with bailiffs coming round to his home, Ipswich Crown Court heard,

Adams admitted stealing the £455 gold sovereign ring in January this year while he was working for a care agency.

Sentencing him to an eight month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 13-week curfew Judge David Goodin said Adams had borrowed the £500 to go to a festival with his brother.

Adams, who is now living with his partner in Fletcher Road, Ipswich, was also ordered to pay £455 compensation to the victim of the theft and £45 prosecution costs.

Patricia Doggett, prosecuting, said Adams had stolen the ring from the pensioner’s bedroom while he was filling in a care form. After the ring was reported missing, the agency which Adams worked for sent round another member of staff to look for it, and it was eventually discovered that Adams had sold it for £140.

Miss Doggett said the ring had been bought for £180 in 1972 by the late wife of the victim. “It had great sentimental value,” she said.

She said Adams told police he had been threatened with bailiffs coming to his home if he did not make an interim payment on the loan, which had built up to £2,500.

He said that after selling the ring he had paid the money stragiht into his account.

Richard Kelly, for Adams, criticised the ease with which people could get loans and then find themselves saddled with huge interest payments if they didn’t repay the initial debt straight away.

He said that when Adams had found out the size of the debt he owed he had been terrified that bailiffs would come to the home he shared with his mother and take her property.

He said his client had made unsuccessful attempts to get the ring back.