A lodger who stole more than £2,000 from his landlady by transferring money from her account into his own to fund a drug and alcohol habit has avoided prison.

Cameron Weaver, 25, stole the money over four months in 2019 after he saw the victim entering her online banking details on an iPad, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Weaver moved into the property in Saxmundham as a lodger in May 2019, Peter Clark, prosecuting, told the court.

He then observed the woman entering the code for her online banking on an iPad, and began transferring money from her account to his own.

Between June 3 and October 8 in 2019, Weaver stole a total of £2,085 from the woman.

When the landlady found out and confronted Weaver, he initially denied stealing the money.

But in police interview, he gave a "full and frank" admission as to what had happened, Mr Clark said.

The court heard that the full amount has now been repaid to the victim.

In a victim impact statement, summarised by Mr Clark in court, the woman said she was "astonished and deeply shocked" when she found out.

She said it was a "huge betrayal of trust" given Weaver was deceiving her while sharing her home.

She added that she hoped Weaver would "learn from his mistakes".

Weaver, now of Albert Square, Great Yarmouth, pleaded guilty to theft from a person at Suffolk Magistrates' Court in Ipswich on June 26 last year.

The conviction put Weaver in breach of a 18-month suspended sentence, which was imposed in June 2019 after he was found to be in possession of a Taser.

Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said Weaver was taking drugs and drinking to excess, which "made him behave in a very bad way".

Mr Oliver said Weaver had spent the money on alcohol and drugs but it now had been fully repaid.

"He was using cannabis to excess and went completely over the top, that is how he put it to me," Mr Oliver said.

Sentencing Weaver on Wednesday, Recorder Guy Ayers told him: "Someone offered you accommodation in their home. They trusted you, they wanted to help you.

"You betrayed that trust, almost immediately, by stealing from them to fund your drug and alcohol habit."

Recorder Ayers handed Weaver 12 months' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He must also pay a fine of £100 within 56 days.