A mother of three who dishonestly used at least £78,000 of her elderly grandmother’s money trying to pay off arrears on a fraudulently obtained mortgage has been ordered to pay back only £370.

That is all that Kerry Ann Noble has left, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Noble was jailed for two years last October after a Crown Court Recorder condemned her for a “grave and gross breach of trust” by taking advantage of her grandmother’s age and frailty.

The sentence came after Noble, 40, of Victoria Court, Longwood, Huddersfield admitted obtaining a money transfer by deception relating to the mortgage and fraud.

The court heard her total benefit from criminal activity was £97,422.05 but her only realisable assets are worth just £370.

Noble who appeared over a video link from Askham Grange prison was told she will have six months to pay that amount or face a further 14 days in prison.

At her sentencing hearing the court was told she got a mortgage for a home in Royd Street, Huddersfield in 2005 after lying about her income and that of her husband.

Ian Brook prosecuting said she claimed to be earning around £35,000 a year while stating her husband who worked for Kirklees Council and was involved with the Territorial Army was earning around £41,000.

The application was successful and £159,589 was advanced but from statements it appeared the account immediately went into default. “The defendant simply did not have the necessary income to service the mortgage,” said Mr Brook.

Monthly payments were missed which would then be followed by some lump sum payments. As of March 2012 there had been 15 eviction notices served but each was cancelled when Noble agreed to pay sums off clearing arrears.

But Mr Brook told the court inquiries later revealed those payments “came in great part from her grandmother’s bank account.”

Mrs Christine Stevens had at some point moved in with Noble paying her £400 rent per month. Noble accepted she then took £78,000 unauthorised from her accounts by claiming to have her consent.

The bank had subsequently repaid the money to the executors of her grandmother’s will so they were the eventual losers.

The court heard on Noble’s behalf that the figures on the mortgage application were “aspirational”.

She initially took money from her grandmother’s account with her permission and then with the hope of repaying later sums, but accepted it became dishonest when she had no hope of doing so.

The property at Royd Street has since been repossessed.