Sean Donohoe, 30, from Wilnecote, Tamworth, plundered a pensioner's life savings, blowing £28,500 on shopping sprees and lavish meals out . A crooked builder befriended a widowed pensioner so he could fritter away her £28,500 life savings on shopping sprees and lavish meals out. Sean Donohoe, 30, from Wilnecote, Tamworth, plundered the elderly woman's accounts before spending tens of thousands of pounds on trips to the Snowdome and in shops such as Argos and HMV. He even persuaded his victim to change her will so he could reap the benefits, before secretly taking out two life insurance policies, both of which named him as the beneficiary. The builder has now been jailed for 21 months after admitting charges of fraud and theft. Sentencing him at Birmingham Crown Court, the judge said Donohoe abused the woman's trust in 'every conceivable way'. Judge Francis Laird QC said: 'You befriended her, you became a close friend and confidante. Because of your behaviour towards her she absolutely trusted you with her financial affairs. 'You abused that trust. You did so in every conceivable way. She effectively handed over her money to you. You were not a financial advisor. 'However she was an elderly lady, a widow, alone and highly vulnerable to a dishonest individual such as yourself.' The court was told how Donohoe had first befriended the woman when he carried out work on her property in Tyseley in 2007. By January 2011, he had started controlling the woman's finances. During that time, he applied for credit cards in her name and also ran up huge debts. The court heard how the victim also changed her will twice during Donohoe's two-year scam, leaving everything to the defendant. But the widow was unaware that Donohoe had taken out the life insurance policies. Lal Amarasinghe, prosecuting, said Donohoe used the money on trips to the Snowdome as well as on meals and at shops. But Department of Work and Pensions checks soon discovered that the woman's accounts were overdrawn, prompting social services to become involved. A judge at Birmingham Crown Court (pictured) said Donohoe abused the woman's trust 'in every conceivable way'. The builder has now been jailed for 21 months, after admitting theft and fraud . It led to Donohoe being arrested. Police found him in possession of four credit cards, as well as a raft of documentation, in the widow's name. In a statement after the case, the victim said: 'I thought he was a good person but I was wrong. As a result of what Sean did to me I was left with no money and worried about paying my bills months after. I am still shocked and upset that he stole thousands of pounds.' Nicholas Berry, defending, said Donohoe was suffering from anxiety and depression after the break-up of a previous relationship and had got into a financial troubles through gambling. 'He was spiralling into debt and owed his father a lot of money. At that time, quite clearly, he saw the opportunity to fleece the victim in an appalling manner,' he said.
Sean Donohoe, 30, from Wilnecote, Tamworth, befriended woman in 2007.
He took over her finances, applied for credit cards and ran up huge debts.
He made her change her will, secretly took out life insurance policies and abused her trust 'in every conceivable way'
Donohoe, who admitted theft and fraud, has now been jailed for 21 months.