AN athlete who became a drug addict and stole more than £800 from the bank account of the mother of his girlfriend has been jailed for two months.

Burnley Magistrates heard how Adam John Kostilek, 21, was found out when his victim got a statement and found withdrawals she knew nothing about had been made at an off-licence.

Kostilek, of St Annes Street, Padiham, admitted theft from an automatic machine between April 25 and May.

Julie Reddish, prosecuting, said Kostilek used the victim's cash card at a machine at Wilkinsons off-licence in Padiham.

She had lost £840, including bank charges and two days loss of earnings due to stress when she was trying to sort out the matter.

Dylan Bradshaw, defending, said the victim's daughter was still Kostilek's partner and had repaid £140.

He said the defendant committed the offence to feed a drug habit which no longer existed.

Kostilek had represented the North of England in the sports field and it was very sad and unfortunate that a man who could have made a living as an athlete had ended up a drug addict and had stolen money from, effectively, his "mother-in-law."

Mr Bradshaw said Kostilek had recently been in custody. That had been a shock to him and he had found the experience unpleasant.

The offence was committed before he went to detention

He added the defendant, an excellent sportsman at school, who had represented the North of England, had a lot of work in front of him to repair the relationship with his girlfriend's mother.