A victim of debit card theft ended up with more money rather than less after a dopey thief used it to place a bet.

The hapless crook won �291.40 on the horses and because he had used the stolen card to pay for the bet, the winnings were paid back into the same account.

Jacqueline Boanson was described at Cheltenham Magistrates Court as the "happiest victim of crime ever", the Times reports.

She must be the happiest victim that we ever had in this court

Howard Ogden Solicitor

Mrs Boanson's debit card was stolen from the communal post box in the block of flats in Cheltenham where she lives.

Noticing it had gone missing, she checked her bank statement and to her surprise found she had more money in her account.

The court heard how Andrew Cameron used Mrs Boanson's card at bookies Ladbrokes to pay for two �50 bets on horse racing.

The horses came in as winners and Ladbrokes paid out - straight into Mrs Boanson's account.

Safe bet

Cameron's solicitor Howard Ogden told the court: "Andy Cameron did her proud and she must be the happiest victim that we ever had in this court."

Ladbrokes told the Times that Mrs Boanson was inadvertently placed in a win-win situation.

Spokesman Sean Boyce said: "If the bets placed on a stolen debit card had been losing ones they would have been voided and the stake money would have been returned, but in these exceptional circumstances, it would seem a bit churlish to deprive Mrs Boanson of her winnings.

"Cameron was on a hiding to nothing because he would have needed complete ID matching the card to get paid in cash."

Cameron, of Cheltenham, pleaded guilty to stealing the card and obtaining the two bets by deception and was placed on probation for 12 months.