A “PARASITIC criminal” defrauded an 83-year-old Parkinson’s sufferer of thousands of pounds and stole cash from his own elderly relative.

Matthew Pratley “deliberately targeted elderly, frail and vulnerable people” as he took about £7,000 from a retired Oxford University academic and then burgled his 84-year-old great aunt.

The 38-year-old was jailed for three and a half years at Oxford Crown Court on Friday after earlier admitting fraud, theft and burglary.

Pratley, from Chipping Norton, began work as an odd-job man at the Oxford home of Dr Francis Marriott in late 2009.

Recorder Richard Hamlin said in December that year he told Dr Marriott “a bald lie” by claiming his girlfriend was ill and that he needed money to take her to hospital by taxi.

Dr Marriott, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s two years ago, handed over his debit card and PIN and between that date and its blockage by his bank on January 18, Pratley unlawfully withdrew up to £7,500.

Pratley, who was a drug addict at the time, told police that his victim would let him use the card to pay for maintenance work and food, but he admitted withdrawing larger amounts than Dr Marriott had sanctioned.

When the card was blocked, Pratley, who has 15 previous convictions, went round to his victim’s house and demanded a loan of £50 before he was scared off by neighbours.

Recorder Hamlin praised the “public-spirited” work of neighbours Ron and Hilda Cook.

Having been arrested and bailed, Pratley then burgled £260 in cash from his great aunt Peg Clarke’s house in Chipping Norton.

Pratley distracted the 84-year-old while his accomplice Gemma Boswell plucked the money from her handbag. She was jailed for two years at an earlier hearing.

Recorder Hamlin said: “These are mean offences carried out against the frail and elderly and the sort of offences that cause great distress.”

Outside court Pc Wayne Harvey described Pratley as “a mean-spirited, parasitic criminal who deliberately targeted elderly, frail and vulnerable people.”