An uncle made his nephew Britain’s youngest burglary victim after stealing money from him – on the day he was BORN, a court heard.
Drug addict Sam Harlow, 20, broke into his sister Gemma’s house and took cash given to her newborn baby Alfie.
Family members had all given Alfie money to welcome him into the world which Gemma kept in a tin in his room.
But his uncle Sam broke in during the night and snatched the envelope containing £110 raised from congratulations cards.
Harlow, of Exmouth, Devon, admitted burglary, theft and possession of cannabis and was originally given an eight month suspended jail term.
But after failing to attend a drug rehab programme he has now been sent to a young offenders’ institute for six months.
Disgusted Gemma said: ”As far as I am concerned I have disowned him. I don’t class him as a brother. Hopefully he will learn what he did was wrong.”
”I don’t know how anyone can steal from a baby. It is despicable and about as low as you can get.
”He popped round earlier that day to drop off a prescription for my mother and during that time he unlocked the window by the front door.
”That is how he got back in later. He broke back in while we were still upstairs and I was in the process of feeding Alfie.
”The money was raised for Alfie when he was born. Most of it was given by my partner’s grandparents and was to be used to start a saving account.
”My brother knew it was for Alfie and was not ours as it was in a special envelope.”
The court heard how cannabis user Harlow since spent the money on drugs and has since been disowned by his family.
Speaking from the dock Harlow told the judge: ”I have offered to pay back the money but my sister will not speak to me.”
Gemma said her brother had previously lived with them for eight months but was kicked out after suspicions he had been stealing money from them.
She added: ”There is one thing stealing money off us but off my son is something completely different. He was ten days old. I can never forgive my brother for this.
”I knew it was him straight away. He continually denied it to us until it came to court when he pleaded guilty.
”He got a suspended sentence but I thought he should have got sent down for what he did.”
Sentencing him Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, said: ”This was a particularly mean offence committed to fund your drugs habit
”You had been at the house earlier at the same time you saw this money which had been given to the new born baby Alfie.
”You went away and came back in the middle of the night. That was a pretty mean and thoroughly disreputable thing to do.
”I cannot order any compensation because you have no means.”
