A EX-FOOTBALLER has avoided jail after stealing jewellery worth £40,000 from a property near Andover while carrying out maintenance work.

Ben Rizzo stole two diamond rings from a home in Chilbolton in June last year and sold them to a pawnbroker to fund his drug addiction.

Months later, the 27-year-old of Furzecroft, New Milton and formerly Bishopstoke, stole £10,000 worth of sentimental jewellery from a home in Winchester. On both occasions, Rizzo took items when the homeowner was out when he was trusted to carry out maintenance work.

At Winchester Crown court on Monday, the former Lymington Town player pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and a further charge of possessing drugs worth £500.

The court heard how on the second occasion sentimental jewellery worth £10,000 was stolen from the home of Sophie Riem, the wife of the former acting dean of Winchester Cathedral, Roly Riem.

Items stolen included a wedding necklace, a fire opal ring worth more than £4,000 and engagement earrings.

Both rings from the theft in Chilbolton were recovered, but only half of the items stolen from Mrs Riem’s home have been found.

Sentencing Rizzo to a 28-month suspended sentence, Judge Christopher Parker QC ordered he pay back £2,000. Rizzo was also ordered to carry out a drug rehabilitation activity course for 25 days, complete 300 hours unpaid work and abide by a six-month curfew.

In mitigation, Barry McElduff said: “Before these offences and his problems with drugs he was a young, hard working man.”

Mr McElduff added Rizzo was of previously good character and only had one other conviction for possessing a weapon in a public place.

Judge Parker said: “What you did was utterly despicable, you were trusted to go into homes and you simply stole from the owners.”

This paper understands that Rizzo no longer plays for Lymington Town.