A bogus window cleaner who stole from a 94-year-old woman after tricking his way into her home has been jailed for 31 months.

Luke Brewster conned money to fuel his heroin addiction.

His frail burglary victim, who is deaf and registered blind, had lost the will to live since he sneaked into her bedroom and stole from her purse, a Court heard today.

Brewster, 26, knocked on doors posing as a window cleaner after seeing a similar scam on television. He pleaded guilty to seven offences of fraud by representation and one of burglary.

Judge John Potter told Brewster, of Westroyd Road, Windhill, Shipley, his crimes were cowardly. He said: “These were a series of offences in which the victims were often elderly and, therefore, vulnerable.”

Prosecutor Louise Azmi told Bradford Crown Court Brewster first struck in Oakfield Terrace, Queensbury, on January 17. He conned £4 from the woman occupier by pretending he had cleaned her windows.

The following day, Brewster called at the home of a disabled woman, saying he was collecting money for “Dave the window cleaner”. He asked for £5 and went off with £20.

Five days later, Brewster tricked his way into a ground-floor flat in Windhill where the 94-year-old woman lived alone. Mrs Azmi said while she went to find money to pay “the window cleaner”, Brewster sneaked £8 from her purse.

Brewster was arrested the next day and admitted the burglary after his fingerprint was found on the pensioner’s jewellery box.

Brewster went on to cheat a 77-year-old woman out of £5 and three more householders out of similar cash sums.

A pensioner in Wrose, with epilepsy and mobility problems, was asked for £5 but refused because she knew a conman was in the area.

Brewster’s barrister Gerald Hendron said his client was desperate for money.

He did not deliberately seek out elderly victims and was deeply ashamed.

After the case, Detective Inspector John Priestley said: “I am pleased to see a custodial sentence has been passed down by the courts in this case.”