Mar.18, 2010, 13:17 GMT

An estate agent has been sentenced to two years for his part in a gang which stole £270,000 life savings from an elderly, dying widow.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Sean White laundered money for an organised crime group who targetted Anne Cornock, 76, from Sully near Cardiff.

It happened shortly after Mrs Cornock had work done to her roof and driveway.

"This is one of the most serious cases of fraud we have seen in south Wales," a police spokesman said.

Acting Detective Superintendent Steve Benson-Davison added: "It had a devastating affect on the elderly victim, who has sadly since passed away."

Sentencing 25-year-old White on Thursday, Judge Paul Thomas said: "Without thoroughly dishonourable people like you, these men who exploited Mrs Cornock could not have profited so easily."

The two-year sentence included 12 months in jail and 12 months on licence.

White, from the Roath area, had earlier admitted two charges of money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The charges relate to two bank transfers of £60,000 and £55,000 made in late 2008 by Mrs Cornock.

Detectives said she became the target of the criminals a few months after building work was done on her driveway and house.

Then Mrs Cornock was telephoned by someone claiming she had been overcharged for the work and claiming they could get her a refund.

Over the ensuing months she was contacted by various people saying she still owed money on her account which needed to be paid before they could get her a refund.

From July 2008 the pensioner drew out a total of £272,310 from her bank account.

While some of the money was collected from her home by various unidentified individuals, she also transferred £115,000 of the money into a bank account.

Mrs Cornock was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly before Christmas 2009.

Detectives are still trying to trace the individuals who made the telephone calls, called to the house to collect the money and were involved in the offence.

They have confirmed, however, that there was no evidence to suggest that the original building work done was connected to the later fraud.