'Thief stole money destined for donation to charity and betrayed my trust', says victim

Jayntibhai Patel, a convicted criminal, took the money when burgling the house of Steve Fenech with whom he was staying temporarily.

While staying at the Ecton village property, Patel also registered store cards in his host's name, which he used to purchase items that he would sell on for cash.

"I previously made a large donation to a charity, he found out and got the impression that I was quite well off," said Mr Fenech.

"He learned that I was planning to give more money to the charity and then he robbed the house to try to find the money.

"As a result, the charity missed out on a donation."

It all started when Mr Fenech advertised a room in his Ecton village home on spareroom.com, which led to Patel moving in the summer of 2017.

"He told me he was working locally," said Mr Fenech.

"It turned out what he was doing was rooting through my stuff to try to get my personal details."

Patel then used Mr Fenech's details to acquire store cards for online retailers which he would use to buy electronics such as smartphones, iPads and computers.

Once Mr Fenech started receiving bills in his name through the post he realised what was going on.

He said: "I got home and saw some stuff had gone and that was the first time I realised.

"I wasn't sure it was him at first then I started getting the bills in the post."

In an attempt to cover up his criminal intentions, Patel first earned his hosts trust which he would later betray.

"He was helping me out in the garden to earn my trust," said Mr Fenech.

"He even got to know the neighbours."

He added: "There was an element of betrayal.

"He knew I was going to make the donation and he deliberately stole the money."

Patel, who previously lived in Wellingborough, is to be sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on February 20 on charges of burglary, making off without payment and dishonestly making false representation.

In 2015, Patel was found guilty of breaking into his estranged wife’s house to steal his son’s Christmas present and taking more than £7,000 from a housemate’s credit card.

He was given an eight-month prison sentence.