Ipswich: I was betrayed by cruel bingo addict

That’s how a pensioner has today described his supposed close friend’s behaviour after she conned him out of more than �40,000 to fund her bingo habit.

Robert Suffolk, 65, has been left in thousands of pounds of debt after Dawn Kyle, 61, made daily withdrawals from his bank accounts.

Speaking out for the first time Mr Suffolk, who lives in Ipswich, said: “This was the ultimate betrayal of a close friend and what she did was unforgivable.

“She has got me in a right old muddle financially and I’m still trying to get back on an even keel.

“I’ve got to see whether I can get any of my money back.”

Kyle, of Undercliff Road East, Felixstowe, started caring for Mr Suffolk on an informal basis after the breakdown of his marriage 20 years ago during which time he became a heavy drinker and spent time in St Clement’s Hospital, Ipswich, where he was diagnosed with manic depression and reduced brain function.

He needed help with his day-to-day needs and Kyle, who had known him since their school days, began cleaning his house and cooking for him.

Kyle’s betrayal was only discovered when Mr Suffolk spent some time in a residential care home and his cousin noticed property from his house was missing. She used the cash to fund her bingo addiction and to pay the deposit and six-months rent on her flat as well as maxing out three credit cards.

Mr Suffolk said: “It was a severe shock when it all came out. I haven’t got the money to put the things right that she took from me.

“She took everything I had and if she hadn’t been caught she would probably have sold my house next.” Kyle, of Undercliff Road East, Felixstowe, admitted four offences of theft between January and October 2009 totalling �42,140, and was jailed for 15 months at Ipswich Crown Court last week.

“I’m glad she has been put behind bars because what she did was unforgivable,” Mr Suffolk said. “I hope she suffers like I have been suffering because this case has taken a long, long time. I haven’t spoken to her since and I don’t want to but she hasn’t shown any remorse.”

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