He stole a close friend’s wedding fund before targeting his girlfriend’s family and now he has been jailed for 32 months.

Neil Bright, of Normanton Road, Oakridge, used the trust of his victims to steal money and jewellery, before selling the items on, as he struggled with mounting debts,

Bright, who is said to have “lost sight of himself”, stole sentimental items from three members of the same family, gaining entry to their homes using keys taken from his girlfriend’s home.

Winchester Crown Court heard on Thursday that the 34-year-old denied the crimes and only pleaded guilty after his fingerprints were found at each of the scenes and some stolen items discovered at his home.

On July 30, 2019, his then girlfriend Lucy Benfell had discovered that some of her jewellery had been taken, along with a laptop containing family photos, worth £2,318.

In the months before the theft Bright had also taken out a credit card in his victim’s name and bought cinema tickets for them using her bank card – both without her knowledge.

Basingstoke Gazette:

But Bright did not only steal from Ms Benfell, he also used keys taken from her flat to let himself into her mother’s and sister’s homes – stealing more than £13,000 worth of jewellery and electronic items.

Judge Susan Evans was told that items included engagement and wedding rings and sovereign rings, along with a Velcro wallet containing the birthday and Christmas money saved by Ms Benfell’s seven-year-old nephew.

In a victim impact statement, Lucy Benfell said: “I feel betrayed as I trusted him enough to let him into my family circle.

“Was any of it real or was you just with me for your financial benefit.”

The court was told that he also stole £600 from the wedding fund of Phillippa Passingham after he had been entrusted to house sit for them in June 2018.

Bright had removed the bottom of a metal money box before gluing it back together.

Mrs Passingham, in her victim impact statement, said: “Neil Bright was treated like a son to my husband and I.

“It wasn’t until some considerable time after the wedding he admitted it was him who stole our hard-earned savings.”

Bright was an usher at Mrs Passingham’s wedding and appears in most of their photos from the day, she added: “He has ruined the memories of our big day we can’t get those back.”

Defending Adrienne Knight said: “He can’t understand how he let himself do this in the first place.

“He did have debts and those debts had got out of control. He got so out of debt that he had need to steal from people’s cans at the side of their beds.

“In 2019 the situation was slightly different because he lost his job as a chef.

“When he lost his job, he was so ashamed he couldn’t even tell his parents about it.”

She added: “He told me that he regrets daily and thinks daily about what he has done.”

In sentencing, Judge Susan Evans said: “These were all of them mean offences and I do accept unsophisticated.”

Bright was jailed for two counts of burglary, two counts of fraud by false representation and two counts of theft in dwelling.