An estate agent who conned an 80-year-old widow out of her life savings has been jailed for just over five years after pleading guilty to fraud.

Hove Crown Court heard that Elizabeth Smith, from East Sussex, pretended to have terminal cancer to get sympathy from Joan Cannon, who recently died.

The court was told that Smith secured in the region of £160,000 from the pensioner which she spent on a luxury car and a holiday in Dubai as well as paying off debts.

She was jailed for five years and 14 days after admitting fraud.

Sentencing Smith, Judge Martin Huseyin described her actions as “utterly despicable”.

He said: “The claim of having a mortal disease turns out to be untrue and an attempt to get sympathy… a willingness not to tell the truth in order to avoid consequences.”

Smith, 53, was working as an estate agent in Rye, when Cannon from St Leonards approached her wanting to purchase a house and transferred £160,000 for the completion of the sale, Sussex Police said.

Instead of putting the money towards the property acquisition, Smith spent £13,950 on a Mercedes and withdrew cash while on holiday in Dubai.

Much of the money defrauded from Cannon has not been recovered.

In a statement read to the court, Cannon said: “I had no reason to doubt what Smith was asking me to do.

“However, when I found out that I had actually been defrauded by Smith, my entire world came crashing down.”

Det Sgt Mitchell Humby, from Sussex Police, described this as “a heartless fraud on an elderly and vulnerable person”.

He added: “It only came to light when the victim became suspicious of the transactions passing through her account and the person from whom she was buying the property became concerned as to why she wasn’t receiving the money in payment.”