THE widow of a traveller who committed suicide in prison has herself been jailed for assisting him in his crime spree.

Sarah Gavin went on the run last March after her husband, Patrick, killed himself in a south London prison.

But she was caught almost exactly a year after his death and is now behind bars.

The pair, of Waldens Farm, Crockenhill Road, Orpington, conned their way into people’s homes and also kidnapped a man, forcing him to hand over £4,000 worth of property.

Gavin had lived an “utterly miserable existence” since she met Patrick in 1998, Croydon Crown Court heard.

He got her involved in a life of crime and drugs, defence solicitor Adrian Kayne said.

On one occasion last January, she went to a house in Marlow Road, Penge, and asked for some hot water for her baby.

She and her husband were in the house for a short time and after they left the elderly householder noticed £300 had been stolen.

Two days later, she played the same trick at a house in Beckenham, stealing two pension books.

On the same day, Patrick Gavin climbed in through the bedroom window of a house in the early hours of the morning and threatened the occupant with a knife.

Householder David Donne, of Clareville Road, Orpington, was told to get into a car outside, where Sarah was waiting.

He was made to take several items from his house and Patrick Gavin later took him to a cashpoint and forced him to withdraw £750.

Mr Kayne told the court she told the terrified victim she was only involved because her husband made her.

He added: “She would not have committed these offences on her own. They were always carried out jointly with her violent partner.” Admitting two burglaries, a robbery and one charge of receiving stolen goods, Gavin was sentenced to 15 months in prison.