A Young man who preyed on the elderly was jailed for three and a half years.

Shofik Townsend, 22, of St Martin's Road, Rose Hill, Oxford, asked his victims for sponsorship money and then distracted them to steal from their homes, Robert Spencer-Barnard, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court.

Townsend's first victim was an 82-year-old man who gave him £5 for a fictitious sponsorship. He returned the following evening and asked for another £20. When the victim refused, Townsend stole his wallet containing £80.

Mr Spencer-Barnard said Townsend's offending against the elderly continued until he was arrested after calling at one house claiming he was collecting money for the Blue Cross Animal Centre near Burford.

Townsend admitted five charges involving burglary, obtaining by deception and attempted deception and asked for six other burglary offences to be taken into account.

David Taylor, defending, said he had assisted police by revealing other offences and was now full of remorse.

Story date: Wednesday 27 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.