Mother and daughter jailed on Christmas Eve after conning vulnerable victims and spending cash on a shopping spree

Lynne Campion, 58, and Donna English, 35, used a bank card stolen from a dementia patient, who they "befriended" at the shops, to splash out on a spending spree at stores in Washington.

The pair then posed as Asda workers so they could pocket £170 from a purse belonging to an 88-year-old customer who they pretended to help when she became distressed during a trip to the South Shields supermarket.

At Newcastle Crown Court a judge has said "any right thinking person would be disgusted and appalled" at the womens' behaviour and said they had a "dishonest and disgusting mindset" when carrying out the offences.

Mr Recorder Alistair MacDonald jailed Campion, of no fixed address, for two years and nine months after she admitted theft and fraud charges.

English, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years and one month after she admitted theft and fraud charges, breach of a conditional discharge and was convicted by magistrates of another theft charge.

Prosecutor Neil Jones told the court the first victim was targeted in May last year after the pair "appear to have befriended her" but then took her bank card and used it.

Campion, who has convictions for 29 offences, made £514 worth of purchases from stores such as the Co-op and Asda at The Galleries.

English, who has 111 offences on her record, splashed out on £459 worth of goods from similar shops with the stolen card.

As a result of what happened to her, the victim now lives in a full-time care home, "for her own protection and peace of mind".

Her niece said "a lot of distress" has been caused by what the women did.

The court heard the second victim was targeted while she was out shopping in Asda, South Shields, in January.

The court heard the pensioner briefly left her trolley, containing her handbag, with the women and they took the opportunity to remove £170 from her purse.

In a victim statement, the woman said: "I have never had such an incident occur during my whole life.

"Since this incident I have struggled to sleep at night."