A MAN twice stole his former partner’s bank card and used it to take money from her account as she slept, York magistrates heard.

Andrew George Ellison, 21, must now repay all the money he took via a cash machine at the Shell Garage in Hull Road.

He was also given a community order.

Jane Chadwick, prosecuting, said the woman had kept on friendly terms with Ellison following the break-up of their relationship for the sake of their child.

But on two nights when she was staying at his mother’s house, he took her card from her jacket and used it before returning it to her.

He correctly guessed her PIN because he knew numbers that were important to her and used it to withdraw £100 at 4am on April 27 and £120 at 2.37am on April 29.

Ellison later told police he had spent some of the money on a night out and some of it on living expenses.

The woman realised what had happened when she checked her bank account, saw the illegal withdrawals and called police.

Ellison, of Melrosegate, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft and two of fraud.

He was given a 12-month community order, ordered to do 170 hours’ unpaid work and pay £220 compensation to the woman, plus £85 prosecution costs and an £85 statutory surcharge.

For him, Steve Munro said the offences were “spur of the moment” crimes committed in “moments of desperation”.

Ellison had been unemployed at the time, the solicitor said.

He currently had a part-time job working at a bar.

Ellison told a probation officer he was expecting to be offered a full-time job at York Racecourse.

Mrs Chadwick said because the correct PIN number was used, the bank refused to refund the money.