LIVERPOOL Crown Court heard how a former star basketball player was reduced to preying on elderly women after a love affair led her into drugs.

At school, Lisa Ogram, from Birkenhead, captained the England under-15 basketball team and toured Europe, attended the Lilleshall school of excellence, and had the opportunity of a sports sponsorship in North Carolina.

But six years ago, when at sixth form college, she met Lee Thomas at a night club and her life changed.

"It is an awful turn of events that things have come to this when one compares it with the wonderful start she had in life," said her counsel, Mr Eric Lamb.

"Her fall from grace and her appearance before the courts comes about because of the effect of her liaison with her co-accused.

"She tried to persuade him to stop taking drugs, instead she herself fell prone to them. The downward spiral begins then," he said.

Ogram and Thomas were separated when he was jailed in 1994 for five years for burglary and she started to straighten herself out in drug rehabilitation.

Thomas was freed last July and she effectively abandoned her family and went back to the relationship with him, he said.

While in custody, her well-being has improved and her father has welcomed that period because "that has given him his daughter back".

Having had her first taste of custody, she will not be taking up with Thomas again, said Mr Lamb.

Ogram, 23, of Prenton Road West, Birkenhead, pleaded guilty to two burglaries, handling a stolen Switch card and attempted deception. She was jailed for 21 months.

Thomas, 26, of no fixed address, formerly of Rock Lane West, Rock Ferry, who pleaded guilty to four burglaries, had three offences taken into consideration, and was jailed for a total of five years and nine months.

Judge Sean Duncan said they had targeted and conned elderly ladies to support their drug habits.

"As Ogram said to her probation officer: 'It's like stealing from your own granny'. You don't get much lower than that," he said.

He told Thomas: "You have a track record of targeting and duping people. When you are craving for drugs your common sense departs and you behave in this revolting manner."

"Tragically, Miss Ogram fell under your spell at an early age after she left school and through you became involved in drugs.

"As a result of that, she has got hooked, not just on drugs, but on offending, it seems. She played a part but I'm quite sure your influence played a part as well."

He told Ogram: "You allowed yourself to resume a relationship with someone you probably wish you had never set eyes on.

"It's a particular tragedy that someone of considerable talent and prowess isn't able to recognise at an early enough stage that a relationship is one leading in a downhill direction.

"I hope you can stay free of this habit and can be returned to your family soon. If you can get your life together you'll still have a lot of potential. Don't throw it away on drugs. It's a complete waste."

Mr John Philpotts, prosecuting, said that Thomas committed the first burglary alone in Highfield Road South, Rock Ferry, on October 15, stealing more than £5,000 worth of jewellery after telling the 77-year-old householder he was going to the toilet.

Both burgled an elderly lady in Wharfedale Avenue, Prenton, after gaining access by telling her they had moved nearby.

The following day, Thomas burgled an 83-year-old woman in Parkbridge Road, Prenton, after claiming he was her home help's son.

Both were involved in the final burglary four days later at a house in Brackenwood Road, Bebington.

After talking their way in, Ogram chatted with the woman, who was in her 80s, while Thomas pretended to go to the toilet and stole property including her engagement ring, he said.

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