A roofer claimed a widower gave him more than £36,000 to help pay off mounting debts caused by his wife's shopping addiction.

Sam Mitchell, 51, told Hove Crown Court 80-year-old Leonard Heal presented him with a cheque for £5,000 at the pensioner's Haywards Heath bungalow in January 2000.

By the end of November 2003, the pensioner allegedly handed over another four cheques totalling more than £36,000. Mitchell carried out unpaid maintenance jobs.

Mitchell and his daughter Emma, 28, both of Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, deny conning Mr Heal out of more than £94,000 in cash and cheques over four years.

Mitchell claimed he received the money as a gift when he told Mr Heal of his financial problems.

He said: "We became friends. I was in a lot of debt because my wife is a shopaholic and ran up very large bills. Mr Heal was aware of that.

"He was concerned about it and he wanted to help me."

Three cheques for £5,000, £300 and £16,000 were signed by Mr Heal and made payable to Mitchell or his daughter between January 2000 and 2001. Another £10,000 and £5,000 were paid out of Mr Heal's account by cheque and into Miss Mitchell's account in early 2003 which Mitchell claims were gifts to pay for his daughter's wedding.

He denied receiving any cash from the pensioner, other than £1,300 for work in January 2000, and dismissed claims he had repeatedly taken the older man to the bank to withdraw cash.

Mitchell denies eight charges of obtaining money and cash transfers by deception and his daughter denies four charges of assisting in the retention of the proceeds of criminal conduct.

She denies two further charges of facilitating the retention, use or control of criminal property.

The trial continues.