A gambling addict stole almost £50,000 from her own mother over the course of seven years, a court has heard.

Nicola Mooney, 32, had taken details of her mother's debit card which she used on Apple Pay and various internet gambling sites.

Norwich Crown Court heard that other transactions made by Mooney, using her mother's card details, involved Amazon Prime, Netflix and Co-op.

Richard Potts, prosecuting, said Mooney was found to have taken a total of £49,317.85 from her mother between 2013 and 2020.

Police had been previously contacted by the victim after she noticed money having been taken from her account.

At that stage the victim did not want police to take any further action but just to warn her daughter about her actions.

Mooney said she would heed the warning but instead continued taking money from the account, resulting in the prosecution.

Mr Potts said the defendant, an alcoholic, admitted having taken her mother's debit card details and using them for betting transactions on various sites.

Mooney, of The Lane, Melton Constable, appeared at court for sentencing on Wednesday (March 9) having previously admitted fraud.

In a statement, the victim described how the offending had had a considerable detrimental affect on her.

John Morgans, mitigating, said the case was both a "family tragedy and a personal tragedy" which represented a big fall from grace for the defendant.

He said the offending came as a result of her addiction to alcohol and gambling but that she felt "significant remorse" for what she had done.

Mr Morgans said she had made "serious mistakes" and committed serious criminal offences and was "terrified" by the prospect of custody, but ultimately knew it was her fault she was in this position.

He also told the court the defendant helped look after two children.

Mooney was given a two-year jail sentence, suspended for 18 months by Judge Alice Robinson who said the defendant had, over a sustained period of time "systematically defrauded your mother of substantial sums of money without your mother's knowledge".

Judge Robinson said the offending had a "devastating impact" on the defendant's mother, but added that she had taken account of the steps Mooney had since taken to address her alcohol addiction.

In addition, Mooney was also ordered to undertake 30 days rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) and a 12-month alcohol treatment requirement.