A JUDGE extended the hand of mercy to a dying woman when he spared her son jail – even though he had stolen from her to fund his drug habit.

Christopher Hunter, 36, stole £3,000 from his father, Bernard, who he was looking after as he recovered from a brain haemorrhage.

But his stealing didn’t end there – he went on to defraud his mum, Lesley, of a further £1,720 as she lay in hospital battling cancer.

Prosecutors told Southampton Crown Court Hunter had been acting in a position of trust and had access to both their accounts.

He took £3,000 from his father’s account and obtained the further £1,720 by giving details of his mother to loan companies, enabling him to withdraw £300 at a time. The court heard she had forgiven him and did not want him sent to prison.

Prosecutor Rob Welling commented: “She asks the court to suspend the term. She knows she is going to die and says she does not want to end her life in the knowledge he is in prison.”

In an impact statement, Lesley Hunter explained: “I may not always like Chris but I love him and no matter how he has hurt me, I forgive him.”

Hunter, 36, of Kingfisher Road, Ringwood, had pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud and one of theft before magistrates who committed him to the crown court for sentence.

Defence barrister Anne Brown said Hunter was addicted to drugs at the time and used the cash to fund his habit. He was now clean.

“He recognises the pain and hurt he has caused,” she said. “Do not underestimate the fact he recognises what he has done and what he has put his parents through.”

Recorder Marcus Tregilgas-Davey gave Hunter a nine month suspended sentence with 18 months supervision and a 150-hour community work order.

“Let me make it quite clear,” he told Hunter. “I will suspend the sentence but I only do so for one reason – for the sake of your mother and her last months on earth.”