DERREN Brown’s cleaner was today jailed for stealing cheques worth £33,000 from the illusionist.

Rocio Pavon-Navarrete, 47, from Greenwich, previously admitted stealing two blank signed cheques from the popular entertainer around June 2010 while working as a cleaner in his Baker Street home.

The mother-of-three, who lives in Bardsley Lane, handed over the cheques to Bernard Ayanbanjo, of Waverley Road, Woolwich, who cashed them into his bank account.

Navarrete was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Southwark Crown court today (October 11).

Judge David Higgins told her: “It is self-evident that to behave in this way is both deplorable and deeply anti-social. This is aggravated by the gross breach of trust.”

She had pleaded not guilty to theft until the first day of her trial on September 13 when she broke down in tears and confessed in front of Derren Brown, who was in the public gallery.

Judge Higgins added: “Until you pleaded guilty you had lied throughout this case.

“Your implied intentions to cast suspicion on others is an aggravating factor as is your premeditation.”

Co-defendant Ayanbanjo was convicted of two counts of fraud by a jury on September 17 and will be sentenced on October 19.