COUNCILLOR John Morgan is “simply not willing” to admit his dishonest theft of £154,000 from an ailing OAP, a prosecutor said yesterday.

Michael Roques poured scorn on how he said John Morgan plans to defend himself over allegations he stole the cash from the late Beryl Gittens.

During the opening of the case at Oxford Crown Court, he said that Morgan – who denies theft – got to know Mrs Gittens when she ran a pub in Hermitage, Berkshire, which she sold in 1996.

The Wantage Charlton ward councillor for the Vale of White Horse District Council helped the widow with certain tasks and was granted power of attorney with her son Roger in 2004 after she developed Alzheimer’s.

Morgan, 75, of Highclere Gardens, Wantage, said they played fruit machines after closing time at the Hermitage pub and he spoke of a conversation with her at Hungerford Care Home, Berkshire, where she moved to in 2011.

Mr Roques said: “There was a conversation between just the two of them, not overheard by any other person.

“Morgan alleges she said ‘I want you to promise when I go there isn’t a penny for those b****** to squabble over’.”

He said this referred to the Pagett family – Audrey Pagett married Mrs Gittens’ brother Reginald.

Stating what the defence will argue, Mr Roques said: “Yes, Mr Morgan spent £154,000 of her money, yes he gambled that away, yes that left her with no money and a paupers’ funeral but he said that is what she would have wanted because she didn’t want the Pagetts getting any of that money.

“He would say that Beryl loved to gamble. He was the only person who knew that about her.”

The spending included £80,000 cash, £75,000 bank transfers and a “number of withdrawals” in Las Vegas and cash points for fruit machines at motorway service stations.

Her funds fell so low that West Berkshire Council began meeting most of her care home costs when her savings fell under £14,000, the figure at which the state takes over payments. The council also paid for her “not terribly extravagant” funeral as Morgan said Mrs Gittens “hadn’t got any money”.

Officers asked why he followed her instructions when he knew she had Alzheimer’s, to which he said: “I didn’t have any concerns about her mental state, she knew what she was doing”.

Mr Roques said: “This was after two separate doctors said ‘she is not capable of making that sort of a decision’.”

He also questioned why Mrs Gittens would make such a request as the Pagetts would only get cash from her will if her son died before her. Morgan got £5,000 in the will.

He said: “The prosecution say it is perfectly obvious here, that the defendant was being dishonest and he is simply not willing to admit his wrongdoing.” The trial continues.