A theology student from Goldsithney who defrauded a vulnerable widow out of almost £10,000 has been jailed.

Hannah Wright, 27, stole money from Penzance woman Susan Patton after befriending her and taking control of her internet banking, before transferring money to her own account over the course of two years.

Wright was convicted of fraud at Truro Crown Court in May, and last week Recorder James Waddington sentenced her to 18 months in prison.

Jurors heard that over the course of two years from April 2012 to May 2014 Wright, who was studying theology at Birmingham University, stole around £500 a month from Mrs Patton's account, and had taken £9,881 before she was stopped.

According to BBC reports, the judge said Wright, "a student on a student grant," had taken advantage of a "vulnerable lady to gain access to her bank account" and steal money to gain "additional spending power."

The court heard that Mrs Patton lived on her own after her husband took his own life, and was vulnerable after suffering several brain haemorrhages which had affected her mental capacity.

Wright's crime was only revealed when landlords tried to evict Mrs Patton from her Penzance home for non-payment of rent, and her council tax and water bills had also gone unpaid.

The court also heard from Iain White, for the defence, who said temptation had got the better of Wright when she took the money.

In a victim impact statement Mrs Patton said she felt a "complete idiot".