A crack cocaine addict plundered his grandmother for money to help pay for his drug fix, a court was told.

Shaun Gravestock repeatedly turned up at his 81-year-old gran’s home, in breach of a civil injunction, seeking “pocket money” and if she refused he often stole from her, at times leaving her virtually penniless.

Durham Crown Court heard that Gravestock’s grandmother would even sit in darkness at her home in the Gilesgate area of the city to make him believe there was no-one there, in a desperate attempt to deter him from pestering her for money.

The injuction, dated from May last year, forbade him from entering the street where she lived.

Read more: Four men jailed in separate cases before Durham Crown Court last week

But Chris Baker, prosecuting, told the court that despite the injunction her grandson called at Mrs Gravestock’s home several times on August 10, last year, stealing an envelope containing £300 she was saving to buy a new oven.

Police became involved and the £300 was returned to the victim, but Gravestock told officers he needed the money to buy drugs.

Mr Baker said Gravestock went to his gran’s home on November 25 seeking £35 “pocket money”, and she gave him £20, but in the early hours the following morning he returned demanding more money, telling her he would sleep on the settee.

On another visit in the early hours of December 1, he claimed to be a police officer to gain entry and then stayed for several hours.

When his gran threatened to phone for the police he smashed her phone, the sixth he had broken in 11 months.

Mr Baker said when Gravestock eventually left she noticed her purse, containing £200, was missing.

On a further visit, on December 11, he stole £40 which had been hidden under a mattress, leaving his grandmother short of money to pay her bills several days before receiving her pension money.

Two days later she received a phone call claiming to be from the police telling her that her grandson had been injured in a road accident, but she went to the living room window to see him standing outside.

The following day he kicked at the door and demanded to be allowed in, but on Christmas Day she made him Christmas dinner out of sympathy.

When he left, however, the following day he had taken another £40 from under a mattress.

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Mr Baker said he used the ruse of being her son in a further attempt to gain entry before being arrested for the third time in five weeks, on January 8, when he made no reply to police questions.

The victim told police how she had struggled to pay her bills but she often made him food even though he should not have been there.

She said she could not put up with his behaviour anymore and wanted her grandson to seek help so she could have a normal relationship with him.

The 22-year-old defendant, of Oak Avenue, Sherburn Road, Durham, admitted three counts of theft, plus one each of burglary, criminal damage and  stalking, but only on the day of a scheduled trial.

Mark Styles, in mitigation, told the court that while in custody the defendant has come to realise “the magnitude” of his behaviour to his grandmother and conceded that the crack cocaine use resulted in him, “losing his morals”.

Mr Styles said Gravestock has been working with the drug and alcohol recovery team in prison to try to overcome his addiction.

He added that the defendant was “embarrassed” by his behaviour to his grandmother and knows he must now leave her alone.

Read next:

* Aycliffe drug user 'lost control' as mother refused him drug money

* County Durham man jailed for knife threats and assaulting his mother

* Son jailed for breaching order by 'kicking off' at father's home

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Judge Jo Kidd said unless the defendant successfully deals with his addiction then his grandmother will continue to be vulnerable.

She imposed a 32-month prison sentence and made Gravestock subject to a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his grandmother, or visiting the street where she lives, both for three years.

Judge Kidd told him he would serve up to half of the prison sentence in custody before being eligible for release, but she added: “Be under no illusion if you come back for breaching this order you should expect to go back to prison.”