Labourer stole from children's piggy banks while working on a home extension in Monkseaton

The victims had hired the firm to build an extension at their house in Monkseaton, North Tyneside, and allowed workers access to the downstairs, as well as a small back bedroom upstairs, where some bricks needed to be removed.

But Newcastle Crown Court heard, almost two months into the build, labourer Gary Scott let himself into the couple's front bedroom and raided ceramic piggy banks that contained cash being saved up for their grandchildren.

When the victims informed the building company boss that money was missing and Scott was confronted he never returned back to work.

Scott, 44, of Park Lane, Shiremoor, North Tyneside, who has 10 previous for theft on his record of 44 offences, admitted burglary and failure to attend an earlier court hearing.

Prosecutor Michael Cahill told the court works started at the house on June 1 last year and added: "The defendant was engaged by the builders as a labourer working on their property.

"Most of the building work was being carried out downstairs. However, the builders needed access to one rear bedroom to remove brickwork.

"On August 21 2023 the complainant entered his front bedroom, this bedroom being one where the builders weren't allowed access to and had no reason to enter.

"He keeps four ceramic piggy banks for their grandchildren and he could see a significant amount of money was missing.

"He counted the sums and saw £860 in bank notes had been stolen.

"As he examined them he saw the underside of one was broken."

The court heard Scott's fingerprints were found on the piggy banks and he was arrested.

The husband said in an impact statement: "The realisation that a person who was employed to work on our property, who we implicitly trusted, was devious enough to enter a private area and steal from our grandchildren's money boxes has severely unnerved my wife and grandchildren.”

Mr Recorder Toby Hedworth KC sentenced Scott, who has been in custody on remand since he failed to attend court in January, to 12 months suspended for two years with alcohol treatment requirements and 180 hours unpaid work.

Recorder Hedworth said: "Unfortunately during the course of your employment there you took advantage of the situation of having access to parts of the house you were not entitled to be in.

"You systematically rifled through piggy banks he was keeping for the benefit of his grandchildren."

The recorder said Scott's life had taken a downward spiral and told him: "There must be intervention to ensure you are guided away from that sort of behaviour."

Recorder Hedworth said not addressing Scott's alcohol problem would leave him "no further forward.”

Vic Laffey, defending Scott, who had a drinking problem and was homeless at the time, said: "This was a very mean offence. He is very ashamed of what he has done.

"If someone goes in your home to do work you don't expect this sort of thing to happen."

Mr Laffey said Scott has never been to prison before.