An unemployed father-of-five raided his grandfather's life savings to feed his drug habit, leaving the 90-year-old with just £8.79 left in his bank account. Morbidly obese Steve Austin, of Croydon, systematically withdrew £2,500 from the account of his grandfather Stanley Taylor. Austin even demanded Mr Taylor, who had brought him up from the age of 12 , give him more cash after the bank was notified by what had happened and gave the 90-year-old a refund. Austin threatened the pensioner that, if he refused to hand over cash, he would not see his great-grandchildren. Steve Austin withdrew almost all of his grandfather's life savings, leaving him with just £8.79, Southwark Crown Court heard. Austin even demanded more cash when the bank refunded the 90-year-old's money . The 39-year-old was jailed for six months after he admitted one charge of fraud. A judge said he had 'abused' the trust of his family. Southwark Crown Court heard that Mr Taylor's health has deteriorated since the incident and he was struggling to cope with the break-up of his family caused by Austin's theft. The court heard that Austin had withdrawn the cash in £100 to £250 amounts between 1 October 2013 and 28 October that year. But Mr Taylor only discovered his life savings had almost disappeared when he went to Orpington town centre with his daughter and a bank statement showed his savings account now contained just £8.79. Both said the account had contained his life savings, which they thought amounted to £2,560.94. Tanya Roberts, prosecuting, told the court: ‘Mr Taylor and his daughter suspected that it was Steve Austin, his grandson, who had taken the money and the reason that was thought was because Mr Austin took money before. ‘They paid a visit to Mr Austin and he admitted to them he had taken his grandfather’s bank card and money and spent it on drugs.’ Austin then tried to persuade his grandfather not to report him to the police. The bank also organised a refund for the pensioner - creating further problems. Mr Taylor only realised his bank account had been almost emptied when he went to Orpington town centre to get a statement and found that the savings account contained just £8.79 - there had been more than £2,500 . Ms Roberts continued: ‘Mr Austin attempted to put pressure on his grandfather by asking him to hand over the money as he knew the bank had provided him with a refund.’ Laurence Imrie, defending Austin, said he turned to drugs after the death of his grandmother in 2012 and had intended to repay the stolen cash. ‘Mr Austin had been raised by the complainant, his grandfather, from the age of 12 after his parents had separated and his mother had engaged in a new relationship,' said Mr Imrie. ‘He was brought up effectively as a son.' Austin had cared for his grandmother during her illness until her death in 2012. Mr Recorder Gibson Grenfell QC said Austin had committed a ‘despicable form’ of fraud and ‘abused’ the trust of his family. He said: ‘You took, it seems, from your very ill grandfather’s bank account with the use of his bank card. He is an old man who is now near 91, you cleared out the bulk of his life savings.' The court was told that Austin's theft had had a ‘catastrophic’ effect on his grandfather who suffered a deterioration in health and is struggling to cope with the break-up of the family. ‘I also read that you have stopped access to his grandchildren and you have, since June 2014, been asking him for money and threatening him with not seeing his great-grandchildren if he refuses,’ said the judge. ‘Your good intentions that you claimed to have had were on any view totally worthless as you had no hope of returning the money.’ Austin, who walked into the court using two sticks, struggled to remain standing in the dock as he was sentenced and was permitted to sit down part-way through the judge’s remarks. He admitted the fraud charge and was also in breach of two suspended sentences at the time of offending for thefts dating back to 2011 and 2012. Austin was jailed for three months for stealing the cash and three months consecutively for breaching his suspended sentences.
Steve Austin systematically stole £2,500 from his grandfather's account . He withdrew the 90-year-old pensioner's life savings to fund his drug habit . Grandfather Stanley Taylor only realised when statement said he had £8.79 . When bank found out what had happened it repaid Mr Taylor the money . Austin demanded even more cash, threatening Mr Taylor that if he refused to pay him he would not be allowed to see his great-grandchildren . The father of five was jailed for six months after admitting charge of fraud .