A homeless man moved in with a 'vulnerable' woman and started a relationship with her, then pawned her precious items and claimed to kill her cat.
Manchester Crown Court heard how Alistair Ian Peat, 52, moved in with the woman in 2017 after she offered to make him breakfast, noticing he was sleeping in his car. The pair became engaged in a relationship that 'went wrong', as Peat began to steal from her, pawning sentimental items and claiming to have drowned her cat.
The victim, who had learning difficulties and a number of health problems, was forced to miss meals and struggled to feed her cats as a result of Peat's 'financial exploitation'. He pleaded guilty to a charge of coercive and controlling behaviour on November 15, after what the judge called a number of 'mean and selfish offences'.
