Cheque stolen as 'act of revenge'

3:52pm Friday 4th April 2008

A MAN who stole his girlfriend's housing benefit cheque begged her not to tell the police.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Liam O'Reilly stole the cheque and cashed it as an "act of revenge" because he thought the relationship was over and suspected she was seeing someone else.

But after he had left with the £279 cheque, O'Reilly contacted Hannah Walmsley at her Longridge home.

"She received several text messages imploring her not to bring charges," said Claire Grant, prosecuting. "He indicated he had spoken to his solicitor who said he would get 18 months."

O'Reilly, 28, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to theft of the cheque, two shoplifting offences and theft of a digital camera from a car and asked for three offences to be taken into consideration. He was sentenced to six months in prison which included a 10 week suspended sentence.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said following the breakdown of the relationship O'Reilly was anxious to start afresh.

"He accepts that may well have to wait until he has served a custodial sentence," said Mr Taylor.

He said O'Reilly had enjoyed a stable existence while he and Miss Walmsley were living in Longridge and he was working at a caravan park.

"He was doing well but since they split he has fallen in with a crowd who have introduced him to class A drugs," said Mr Taylor. "As a result he is going to find himself in Preston Prison when he should be with his daughter celebrating her first birthday."

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