A criminal who stole more than £1,000 from his elderly mother has been jailed for eight months.

Brian George Brand, 37, set up internet banking without the knowledge of pensioner Mary Brand.

That gave him access to her bank accounts, which he then plundered during a fortnight in March. Brand stole £1,022 by making 15 separate online transactions.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Brand, from Carlisle, admitted one count of theft and was sentenced by Judge Tony Lancaster.

Beccy McGregor, prosecuting, said 70-year-old Mrs Brand noticed anomalies with her bank accounts in late March. She had to wait until after the Easter weekend to raise the alarm.

A fraud team member from the bank then confirmed there had been a number of fraudulent transactions.

Brand had been staying at his mother's home and she suspected he was responsible.

When Brand's room was searched, a letter was found which related to the activation of internet banking. But Mrs Brand was clear that she had never authorised such a service.

"She heard her son admit to her other son that he was responsible for the thefts. He then admitted it to his mother," said Ms McGregor.

"He stated he needed to pay the money off to some guys from Liverpool who were after him."

Mrs Brand had been recompensed for her losses, the court was told.

When arrested and interviewed, Brand confessed to the crime and told police he had accrued a drug debt.

Ms McGregor said he had 109 offences on his criminal recorded, scores of which were for theft and similar.

Philip Andrews, defending, said the background of Brand's criminality was drugs, which he started taking in his late teens.

He had taken his mother's money to pay off a debt .

"He really is very, very sorry," said Mr Andrews. "He is ashamed. He bitterly regrets it."

While in prison, Brand made an apology to his mother. She had accepted that and "would be supportive of him in the future", the court heard.

Judge Lancaster told Brand, of Lazonby Terrace, Harraby: "I have no doubt that your offending from her, in the way in which you did, will have caused her a great deal of heartache and pain."