A YOUNG man who sold two of his mum's gold rings and pawned another has been ordered to pay her £1,800 compensation.

Jason Williams stole and flogged Joanne Williams' cherished jewellery for a fraction of its value, Bristol magistrates heard.

Williams, 22, said he carried out the crime after losing £600 his girlfriend had entrusted him with, which she was going to use to buy a car.

He took two gold rings worth £1,800 from Mrs Williams' bedroom and sold the pair for £244. He later took another worth £150 and pawned it for £60, the court heard.

Mrs Williams discovered her jewellery was gone when she found a pawn shop receipt in her son's bedroom relating to the first two rings.

Prosecuting, Jeremy Oliver said on a visit to the pawn shop on December 14 she recognised the third ring, which she had not even realised was missing, reported her son to the police and kicked him out of the family home.

That ring was recovered, but the others had been sold on.

Williams was then taken in by relatives in Camberley Road, Knowle West.

In her statement, Mrs Williams said: "It is difficult to support a prosecution against my own son, but I feel I have no choice as it's the most recent of many problems with him."

Mitigating, Debbie Clarke said her client was extremely remorseful and said he had been trying to build bridges with his mother.

She told the court he was trying to get a better paid job than his current one to pay her back.

Ms Clarke said Williams had genuinely lost the £600 on his way to his girlfriend's house.

"There are no underlying issue in relation to drugs or alcohol," she said. "It's a stupid, stupid offence that's going to have long term consequences for him."

Ms Clarke said Williams intended to get the ring he pawned back, once he had saved up enough money.

Presiding magistrate Barbara Bigwood said: "You've obviously been told, and you know yourself, that was a shocking crime to perpetrate and it's ended up with a loss of trust from someone who was very close to you."

She imposed a one-year supervision order and ordered that he pay back the £1,800.