Flintshire man jailed after stealing money from his mum

Arran Sendall, of no fixed abode, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Thursday.

The 31-year-old, who told the court he now goes by the surname 'Niche', had previously admitted offences of harassment by breach of a restraining order and theft.

Emmalyne Downing, prosecuting, told the court that the 'no conviction restraining order' was imposed in February 2023 for a period of three years in order to protect Layla Issa, with whom he'd been in a relationship just before Christmas 2022.

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Despite the restraining order, Sendall bombarded Ms Issa with upwards of 30 phone calls in March this year.

The victim said she was scared of him and felt worried he's "never leave her alone."

Ms Downing said the theft offence came about  while Sendall was living with his mother, Alison Sendall.

She had been saving money to buy a log burner, with £850 being securely stored in a small living room safe.

On March 20, she took the key to work with her, and left it in her bag when she returned home.

Ms Sendall went to work again the next day but left the key.

The defendant wasn't at home when she returned, prompting a "funny feeling."

Arran Sendall (North Wales Police) (Image: North Wales Police)

It turned out he'd been in the safe and taken £740 from it.

Ms Sendall said the theft left her "devastated and heartbroken" as she'd been saving for months and now has "no hope of having a log burner this winter."

The court heard she had a "sporadic relationship" with her son, and had over the years given him "every chance to turn his life around."

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Robin Boag, defending, said his client's conduct towards Ms Issa had all been over the phone and that he felt genuinely remorseful.

"Clearly the theft will have an impact on his mother with the loss of those funds," he said.

"The sad fact is his mum doesn't trust him because she specifically bought a safe to keep her money in.

"He has spent six months in custody and he has used that time positively; that's to his credit.

"He has engaged with the drug and mental health teams."

Mr Boag said his client is "expressing a desire to change" but it had to be up to him to make that chance.

Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones told the defendant: "Your mother allowed you to stay at her address and you took advantage.

"It's a mean offence and you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself."

The defendant answered: "I certainly am."

In total, Sendall was jailed for 20 months.

"You know full well that the future lies in your hands," the Judge told him.