A WOMAN who stole thousands of pounds from her dead father's bank account in a vendetta against her mother-in-law has escaped jail.

Michelle Miles, 31, and her boyfriend Christopher Wilson, 23, stole nearly £6,000 from the bank accounts of dad Thomas Miles and his wife Sarah. Swindon Crown Court heard on Friday Miles felt her father's money was rightfully hers and resented the stepmother she said was a drunk.

Mr Miles, of Ridgemead, Calne died in February 2005 and over the next six months his daughter stole £3,523 from his account using his cheques and cash cards. She escaped jail after the court heard the impact this would have on her two young children.

Jonathan Simpson, defending Miles, said: "She had a misplaced notion that his property somehow belonged to her. As far as she was concerned in her opinion the drunken state of her father's partner did contribute to his downfall. "She is a mother to two children aged six and 10 and there is no father figure to speak of.

"Even a short custodial sentence would have a much longer impact on her children." The court heard Miles also stole just over £2,000 from her stepmother's account while the latter was a patient at Chippenham Hospital.

She had previously pleaded guilty to eight offences of obtaining property by deception and five counts of theft. Wilson had pleaded guilty to five counts of theft and five of obtaining property by deception. Miles was given a suspended sentence. Her boyfriend was jailed for four months.

Richard Thomas, prosecuting, said: "One of the saddest facts of this fraud is there were insufficient funds in Mr Miles' estate to pay for a funeral and it was left to the local authority to pay for it. "A letter was received by Mrs Miles saying that her late husband's bank account was overdrawn and cheques were not being honoured."

Police interviewed Miles and Wilson, both of Hamilton Drive, Market Lavington, and they admitted their part in the thefts. Charlotte Eadie, defending Wilson, said her client's involvement was opportunistic and he did not use the cards himself.

The court also heard Miles' sister Tracey Graham, 34, of Brickley Lane, Devizes, stole one cheque from her father's account, and was given a conditional discharge last month.

Sentencing the pair recorder Maria Lamb said: "Miss Miles you were motivated by a resentment towards your stepmother and that somehow you thought you were entitled to money from your father's estate. It was a despicable act in the circumstances. "Mr Wilson you were also content to enjoy the fruits of your partner's dishonesty."