An Oxford man was given a conditional discharge after dishonestly withdrawing £9,000 which had been transferred to him from an elderly couple's bank accounts.

Michael McFadden, 27, of Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, admitted two charges of dishonestly obtaining wrongful credit.

He admitted that in August 2004 he withdrew £8,700 which belonged to Frederick Arnold and £300 belonging to Mildred Arnold.

Oscar Del Fabbro, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court that the money had been transferred from the elderly couple's bank accounts into McFadden's account. He said the defendant went to the bank to withdraw the cash.

He said: "He has pleaded guilty to holding on to the credit, which came to his account wrongfully."

He said McFadden had previous convictions for burglary, damaging property and drink driving.

Henry James, defending, said his client was suffering from mental health problems.

He said: "It may well be the case that someone has taken advantage of his position. My instructions are he was unaware of anyone else putting money into his account."

Judge Anthony King told McFadden: "I don't pretend to know exactly how that money got into your account.

"It was not your own money and you must have known you had no right to it.

"I suspect, but I can't say any more than that, that someone put you up to getting that money out of the bank and there was some arrangement between you and someone else to get that money."

He added that he hoped McFadden would cooperate with doctors in dealing with his mental health problems.

McFadden was given a 12-month conditional discharge for each offence, to run concurrently.