A former Hadleigh heating engineer who stole jewellery and cash while working at customers' homes, has been sent to prison.

Ipswich Crown Court was told that in total Gavin Seager, formerly of Aldham End, Elmsett but latterly of Lakeside Road, Ipswich, took property and cash valued at £24,000, in order to feed his £1,500 a week cocaine habit.

The 43-year-old, who used to own his own heating engineer companies in the Hadleigh area, was working with Warner Homes, Glow Green, Floheat and Greenscape during the period the offences took place.

Seager admitted nine offences of theft which were committed between March 2018 and May 2019.

The court heard how the the offences took place at people's homes in Felixstowe, Ipswich, Mildenhall, Old Newton, Swanton Morley in Norfolk and Kent.

Meyrick Williams, prosecuting, told Ipswich Crown Court that one of the victims was a 71-year-old Mildenhall woman who had two rings worth £3,000 stolen at a time when she was looking after her husband after he had suffered a heart attack.

Seager had also stolen £1,000 cash from a woman who lived in Felixstowe and had taken jewellery, including her gold wedding ring, and foreign currency worth £16,500 from a woman who lived in Kent.

Recorder Graham Huston described the offences as "selfish and cruel". He also said some of the victims were elderly and some of the lost jewellery was of sentimental value which could never be replaced, before sentencing him to 18 months in jail.

Steven Dyble mitigating for Seager told the court his client had a £1,500 a week cocaine habit but since being arrested had received help for his addiction and was now drug free and had shown remorse for his actions, which he agreed had a degree of meanness.