A fraudulent lover who stole £4,500 from his girlfriend has been given a suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service.

Matthew Millard, of Darley Close, Croydon, used his girlfriend’s credit and debit cards to splash out on lavish presents for her and his family.

Lisa Eason found out about the deception on the day the 30-year-old was due to move into her home in March.

Millard was eventually arrested on March 27 and charged with two counts of fraud between November 18, 2009 and March 3, 2010.

He was due to be sentenced on July 16 at Croydon Crown Court but did not turn up to court and the judge was forced to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.

On July 28 he was given a six month sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered to do 200 hours community service.

He was also ordered to pay £4,500 in compensation to Miss Eason.

The pair had been going out for almost a year. Miss Eason suggested Millard move in with her after he lost his job last November.

She said: “I just wanted to help him get back on his feet.”

Millard, who worked as a salesman, started withdrawing the money from Miss Eason’s current account to pay off his debts.

He withdrew £1,135 from her current account and £3,461 from her credit card which he had intercepted.

He used the money to buy Christmas presents for his family and an X-box for himself as well as a Swarovski bracelet for Miss Eason.

She found out about the deception as he was about to move in with her. She discovered he had withdrawn £80 from her account while she was ill in bed.

She said: “I went through all of my bank accounts the next day and that is when I realised the extent to which he had been robbing me, it was horrible. Over three months he had fleeced £1,200 from my current account.

“I could not believe he had done this to me. I am not that brilliant at checking my bank account and did not realise what was going on.

When she heard about the sentence, Miss Eason said she was relieved the ordeal was finally over, adding: “He is a scumbag who deserves everything he gets. He was lucky to get off so lightly, hopefully this teaches him and others like him a lesson. I hope this experience turns him into a better person.”