A woman who found a bank card belonging to a man later found dead and used it to buy alcohol has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Kelly Brown had been staying at a friend’s flat in Crown Street West, Lowestoft and had been scavenging for cigarette butts in the street when she found the bank card in July 2019.

The 48-year-old then used the card to buy a bottle of rum from a service station, Ipswich Crown Court heard on Monday, October 5.

Duncan O’Donnell, prosecuting, said the 65-year-old owner of the bank card was found dead at his home in Crown Street West on July 5 last year.

He said the man had last been seen alive on July 2 and his death was “sudden but not suspicious”.

When his family started sorting out his affairs, they discovered his bank card was missing.

They discovered the card had been found and used by Brown in the early hours of July 5 to buy a £20 bottle of rum.

Brown, of Pier Terrace, Lowestoft, admitted theft of the bank card by finding, fraud and breach of a suspended sentence order and was given a four month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, a six month drug rehabilitation requirement, a 30 day rehabilitation requirement and a £50 fine.

Sentencing her, Judge David Pugh said Brown had found the bank card as opposed to her going into the property and taking it.

Marc Brown, mitigating, said his client had been scavenging for cigarette butts in the street near to where she had been staying when she found the bank card.