A BANK manager who stole £315,000 from his meningitis-stricken niece and £65,000 from his 85-year-old gran has been ordered to pay up...£1.

Darren Pease, 33, was jailed for four years in November after siphoning off the cash from the trust fund of Little Clacton tot Ellie May Challis, and from the account of his grandmother, Joyce Pease.

A proceeds of crime hearing, at Basildon Crown Court, heard how Pease had spent everything he had stolen.

However, Judge John Lodge said, because of Pease’s lack of assets, he would make an order for him to repay a nominal amount of £1.

That means should Pease come into money in the future, the court can apply under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to recover more cash.

Wearing a light-blue shirt and thick-framed glasses, Pease only spoke to confirm his name.

He used the cash to pay for jewellery and expensive holidays for his wife in an attempt to save their ailing marriage. It didn’t.

All of the money was repaid to Ellie May’s fund and Mrs Pease by Lloyds TSB, where Pease worked and abused his position as risk manager to steal the cash.

Gregory Fishwick, Pease’s lawyer, said the bank was trying to recover some money through the High Court.

He said a freezing order had been placed on Pease’s equity share of the marital home, Mitsubishi Shogun car, and a caravan. Those assets are together valued at about £14,000.

The Ellie May Challis trust fund was set up to help the tot who had all her limbs amputated after a near-fatal meningitis attack.

Ellie May, who is known nationwide as the little girl who walks on special carbon-framed limbs, lives with her mum, Lisa, 36, and dad Paul, 46, and their other four children in Weeley Road, Little Clacton.

Yesterday, Mr Fishwick said: “The real loser in this has been the bank, which is taking civil action to try to recover some of its money.”