THE fiancee of a Shoreham Airshow crash victim has been spared jail for a second time after using an elderly neighbour’s credit cards to carry out a “despicable” internet spending spree.

Giovanna Chirico was found guilty of two counts of fraud by false representation for spending £1,569.23 on two cards belonging to 81-year-old Mavis Shoesmith at online stores including Tesco and iTunes.

But a judge sentencing the 36-year-old, who lost her partner Mark Trussler in the 2015 disaster, said it would be “unjust” to put her behind bars.

This is the second time in two years she has avoided jail, after appearing in court in April 2017 when she admitted possession with intent to supply amphetamine.

A hearing at Lewes Crown Court on Monday was told Chirico befriended neighbours Mrs Shoesmith and her husband Michael, and was invited into their home in Worthing on the odd occasion for a drink or when she asked to use the toilet.

Jordan Franks, prosecuting, said although it was not known how she obtained the card details, there was a “sustained amount of fraudulent use of the cards over a substantial period of time”.

She made purchases in more than 15 transactions between December and March through her Paypal account and ordered items which were delivered to her address.

Mrs Shoesmith, who rarely used the cards and did not shop online but kept them in her possession, contacted her banks when she noticed the unusual items on her bill.

Reading a victim impact statement from Mrs Shoesmith to the court, Mr Franks said: “This whole incident has affected me greatly and I have been unwell since. I’m nervous about leaving the house in case I bump into Ms Chirico.”

David Bathurst, defending, told the court he warned Chirico she was “staring straight down the barrel of an immediate custodial sentence”.

She is reliant on benefits for income and is unable to work after being signed off with depression by a doctor.

She claims to have been defrauded out of £70,000 of the £80,000 compensation awarded as a result of the Shoreham Airshow crash, he added.

After reading letters from two of the four children in her care, Recorder Alistair Wright said it would be “unjust” to hand her an immediate custodial sentence.

Instead he fined her £100, ordered her to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation days in the next year.

She was also handed a restraining order and told not to contact the couple.

Branding her “lucky” and her actions “disgusting”, he said: “You should be under absolutely no illusions these offences are despicable.”

Handing her two 26-week jail terms suspended for 24 months, he warned her he was “pretty confident” she would be sent “straight inside” if she re-offended, adding: “It’s in your hands now.”

Chirico wept in the dock for the duration of the hearing and spoke only to acknowledge the judge’s comments.

Both Santander and Barclays have reimbursed Mrs Shoesmith in full but Chirico was told they may pursue her through the civil courts for compensation.

When she was spared an immediate jail term last year, a judge handed her a suspended sentence after hearing of her “difficult circumstances”.

She was engaged to 54-year-old window cleaner Mr Trussler when he and 10 other men were killed when a vintage Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 on August 22 2015.

Pilot Andrew Hill is due to stand trial in January after denying manslaughter by gross negligence and endangering an aircraft.