A PENSIONER has been handed a community order after admitting two counts of fraud by false representation.

Bernice Kay Smith, aged 67, of Corscombe Close, Weymouth, was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work within one year, and pay £2,400 in compensation.

She was also made subject to a curfew from 7pm to 7am at the hearing at Dorchester Crown Court.

Prosecuting, Robert Paws-on told the court that Smith moved to the area from Malta in March 2011 with an elderly acquaintance.

The pair had stayed in several hotels, and the defendant paid with cheques which bounced.

In mitigation, Timothy Shorter said: “It is rare to have a lady aged 67 before the court for the first time to be sentenced for frauds totalling just over £4,500.

“She has acknowledged her guilt.

“She has great difficulty coming to terms with the fact that she acted in a way an ordinary, right-thinking person would regard as dishonest.”

Judge Roger Jarvis ruled that the compensation be split between the two hotels affected by Smith’s actions, which he said could be ‘hugely detrimental’.

He added: “It is my view that you were shocked at the cost of things compared to Malta and you became overwhelmed by trying to care for someone with significant medical problems.

“There’s no need in my view for someone like you to go into custody.”