A MAN who stole £1,000 from an Unsworth woman he met via a mobile phone text service claimed his victim had given him the money as a gift for his sexual prowess.

But Killian Slaine Dragonwolfe was convicted of theft, obtaining property by deception and forging a cheque after a trial at Pontypridd Magistrates Court in Wales.

Prosecutor Dave Bowen told the court that victim Eleanor Higgins met Dragonwolfe in April 2004 through a mobile phone service and developed a close friendship. Mr Bowen said the defendant visited Miss Higgins four times between May and August 2004 and the relationship blossomed into something more intimate.

On July 28, Miss Higgins was taken into hospital with a heart attack, and during her time as a patient, Dragonwolfe said he would move into her home to take care of it and asked for a £500 cheque to cover his moving costs from his home in Nottingham.

However, the prosecution said Dragonwolfe, now of Pant-y-Cerdin, Aberdare, told Miss Higgins he could not open an account with the cheque because he didn't have the correct identification and instead she gave him £500 in cash.

Mr Bowen claimed that Dragonwolfe returned to Nottingham and Miss Higgins did not hear from him until she contacted him by phone to be told he was "seeing another woman and no longer wanted to continue the relationship".

He said Miss Higgins later discovered £1,000 was missing from her bank account on September 7 and enquiries showed it had been cashed by Dragonwolfe in Glynn Owen Finance, Aberdare. Records showed the defendant received the money on September 9 after cashing a cheque, which his victim denies ever having written, signed by Miss Higgins and made payable to K Dragonwolfe.

Mr Bowen told the court Dragonwolfe claimed he had been given the £500 in cash and also the £1,000 as a gift for his sexual prowess and what he had done in the relationship.

Miss Higgins said the £1,000 was returned to her but that did not change the fact that it was stolen. She said: "I, before God, did not complete that cheque."

Glyn Spilsbury, defending Dragonwolfe who changed his name from Graham Pike more than 20 years ago, said his client accepted that he had cashed the cheque and made no attempt to hide his identity. He said: "The defendant claims he was given the cheque whilst he was in a relationship with Miss Higgins."

Dragonwolfe pleaded not guilty on all charges but District Judge John Charles found him guilty and told him to expect a community order. He said: "You have not told the truth. You were responsible for writing the cheques and unlawfully obtaining the money."

Dragonwolfe was being sentenced at Aberdare Magistrates Court yesterday. DC Hugh Martin of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Mr Dragonwolf was a manipulative man who picked on a vulnerable lady and justice has been done. She can now move on from this sad incident in her life."