A HEROIN and crack cocaine addicted nephew swindled his aunt out of more than £7,000 as she was dying of a brain tumour.

Jack Brimble was warned by a judge that he faces an “inevitable” custodial sentence for his “repugnant” offence of conning Lynne Johnsey.

At Cardiff Crown Court, the 26-year-old, of Station Road, Llanwern, Newport, admitted plundering her online bank account just before he was due to go on trial.

The offences were committed between August and October 2016.

His aunt died in the late September of that year at the age of 55.

Prosecutor Tom Roberts is due to open the case later this week when the defendant is sentenced.

He did tell the judge, Recorder Simon Foster, that Brimble had served prison terms in 2013 for theft and for a dwelling burglary in the next year.

Mr Roberts also said his current offence was aggravated by being an “abuse of trust” and committed when his aunt was “vulnerable” suffering from her illness and in hospital.

Represented by Karl Williams, Brimble, his barrister said, had been dependent on heroin and crack cocaine since July 2014.

He said the defendant’s habit had been costing “several hundred pounds or more each week”.

It was, Mr Williams added, a “terrible addiction”.

The court heard how Brimble had already spend four months remanded in custody, already the equivalent of an eight-month jail term.

He added that the defendant was still entitled to credit when it came to sentencing as he had pleaded guilty before his trial was due to start.

Mr Williams asked for case to be adjourned so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared by the Probation Service which was granted.

Recorder Foster told Brimble that a custodial sentence was “inevitable” and added that he had committed a “repugnant offence”.

Sentence was adjourned until Friday, September 21 and the defendant was remanded in custody.