A BUILDER who stole precious First World War medals from a pensioner’s home while he worked at her home has been spared a jail sentence.

Burnley Crown Court was told how Gary Williams, 48, had been ‘ostracised’ from his community after he stole from 65-year-old Jean Sanderson last March and April.

MORE TOP STORIES:

But Williams, of Griffin Close, Burnley, escaped with a suspended prison term after the judge ruled that custody would damage his mental health, as he was already clinically depressed.

The court heard that Mrs Sanderson, of Ronald Street, Rosegrove, was now afraid to answer the door because of the theft, which also saw a flute taken.

The medals – the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal – were awarded to her grandfather, Private Thomas Henry Lord, for his service with the Royal Army Medical Corps during his time in Alexandria, Egypt.

Mrs Sanderson, who paid Williams £700 to carry out building work, noticed the medals were missing after he had visited her ‘eight or nine times’, including periods when he was in the house alone.

Steven Parker, prosecuting, said the medals had now been returned to Mrs Sanderson after the man who bought them noticed a press appeal, including a story in the Lancashire Telegraph in June.

Explaining his decision to spare Williams jail, Recorder Michael Blakey said: “I have noted during the hearing that you have had your head bowed in the dock.

“It seems you are embarrassed and ashamed of what you did.

“I further accept that you are remorseful of what you did, supported by the fact you pleaded guilty.

“Although they had great value to her, they had nothing more than monetary value to you and you took them straight to a shop and sold then for the meagre value of £25.

“You said you got them from a house clearance and they were later sold on for £50.”

Phillip Holden, defending, said Williams had struggled to cope with the deaths of his brother and father in 2013.

Williams admitted burglary.

Sentencing him to 18 months in prison’ suspended for 18 months, Recorder Blakey said: “Ultimately you would remain a vulnerable individual if you were sent to prison and there would be a deterioration in your mental state.

“This is an offence which is a mean offence, one that has caused all sorts of difficulties for the victim Jean Sanderson. She is now not trusting people as she did before.

“Ordinarily I would have no hesitation in sending you to prison immediately.

“But I am mindful of your guilty plea, that this offence is out of character, that you are clinically depressive, that you are receiving counselling, that you have lost your reasonably good character and that you will be unlikely to work again. They are punishments in themselves.”

Williams also received an 18-month suspension order.

He was told to attend a mental health programme, and was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work and pay a £100 surcharge.