A GREEDY cleaner used forged cheques to steal ￡8,400 from a frail gran in a heartless scam, a court heard.

       Michaela Reeves, 31, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, deposited the money into her account after stealing the woman's bank box from under the bed.

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       Michaela Reeves used forged cheques to steal from the gran Credit: Cavendish 3

       She denied theft and four charges of fraud Credit: Cavendish

       The former equestrian centre manager denied theft and four charges of fraud at Bolton Crown Court after claiming a burglar had stolen the cheques from disabled Olive Watmough.

       When Mrs Watmough, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, found out about the thefts she was said to be ''devastated'' and told police: ''You just don't think someone you trust would do this.''

       She has since passed away and did not see the case reaching court.

       The court heard that Reeves filled out increasing four-figure sums on the Yorkshire Bank payment slips and forged the victim's signature.

       She waited a few weeks before depositing each one, jurors heard.

       Three payments - for ￡1,900, ￡2,700 and ￡3,800 but she was caught when bank officials blocked the fourth deposit for ￡7,800 and began investigating.

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       Reeves, who has a previous caution for dishonesty from 2006, was found guilty after a trial.

       Judge Mr Recorder Graham Wells told her: ''Mrs Watmough was an elderly lady who needed help as she was a vulnerable old lady. She kept the cheques upstairs in a box by her bed.

       ''Your job was to clean her house and help her. You had unsupervised access to all areas of the house.

       ''As a cleaner you were trusted, yet you searched for and found those cheques and you stole them from the book as part of a cunning plan. You made them out in increasing sums with time between them to try no doubt to slip them past the eyes of the bank and Mrs Watmough.

       ''It was several days and weeks after you had stolen those cheques, that you put the first one through.

       ''The effect on Mrs Watmough described in her statement written before she died and amplified by her granddaughters was that it was devastating.

       ''Her financial security appeared to have been breached, her trust betrayed. It is difficult if not impossible to imagine a more serious breach of trust for a vulnerable old lady in her own home."

       The thefts took place between December 2017 and February 2018 after Mrs Watmough, from Oldham hired Reeves via an agency.

       Reeves broke down in tears after she was handed a two-year prison sentence - which was suspended for two years.

       She was also ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work 20 Rehabilitation Requirement Days and was ordered to attend a woman's problem solving court.

       The former cleaner will face a Proceeds of Crime hearing at a later date.

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       She previously worked as an equestrian centre manager Credit: Cavendish