DEBRA COOK appeared to be the epitome of a Good Samaritan, running errands for a blind, disabled and housebound 80-year-old.

Yet she was secretly swindling thousands of pounds from the account of Catherine Jones – the mother of her lesbian lover – until she had bled her victim’s life savings dry.

Yesterday, Cook walked free from Oxford Crown Court, despite a judge and Mrs Jones’s son Richard condemning her conduct.

Mrs Jones trustingly gave Cook, 47, her bank debit card so that she could do shopping and run errands for her.

But Jonathan Stone, prosecuting, said that Cook would often withdraw the maximum £250 allowed from her victim’s account, pay for whatever was needed and pocket the rest.

Cook emptied £4,356 from great-grandmother Mrs Jones’s bank accounts until there was just three pence left.

In a statement read to Oxford Crown Court, Mrs Jones, a mother-of-six from Wallingford, said: “The whole incident makes me feel weak and shaky.

“I trusted Debbie and the fact she abused that trust is what upsets me most.

“My financial nest-egg is now gone. I no longer have the funds for my sons and daughters’ inheritance.

“It makes me very sad that Debbie has done this, because I liked her.”

Mr Stone said: “The victim readily gave the defendant her bank card and PIN number and asked her to deal with her day-to-day affairs.

“This trust was clearly abused by the defendant.

“Ms Cook blames it on her gambling addiction on fruit machines and said she wanted to buy alcohol and generally wanted to have a good time.”

He added that Cook was Mrs Jones’s daughter’s partner and the couple had both cared for the housebound pensioner.

Cook, of Mill Street, West Oxford, admitted eight charges of theft between March and May last year.

She also admitted eight other thefts which she asked to be taken into consideration during sentencing.

Nick Cotter, defending, said: “She has been frightened to death about this from the outset and rightly so, because she has behaved in an abhorrent manner.

“She is hugely apologetic about what she has done.”

Judge Christopher Compston gave Cook a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered her to do 100 hours of community work and pay £4,356 compensation.

He said: “This was a disgraceful breach of trust to a very vulnerable old lady who had been kind to you.

“It was a really nasty and grotty offence in every sense. I think you are ashamed and you should be ashamed.

“But I see nothing to be gained in sending you to prison immediately.”

Last night Mrs Jones’ son said he would like to have seen Cook jailed after hearing she tried to cover her tracks by intercepting his mother’s bank statements and ripping them up.

Mr Jones, 59, from Cornwall, said: “I’m sad and angry as well.

“My mum is very upset. I’m not pleased with the sentence. I’m a bit disappointed.

“A lot of money was spent gambling but I believe it was just greed.”

esimmonds@oxfordmail.co.uk