A man whose former lover secretly sold their house has vowed to get back his share of the proceeds.

Joyce Terry, 59, forged legal papers so she could sell the home in Mile Oak Road, Portslade, without her former partner Phillip Page knowing.

When the house was sold she kept his share of the profit, which was £34,000.

Terry denied stealing the money from Mr Page and told the jury during a trial at Hove Crown Court she believed her former lover wanted nothing to do with the house.

But Mr Page, a builder, said she was lying. He told how shocked he was when he checked with the Land Registry and discovered the house had been passed to a new owner.

The jury did not believe Terry and she was unanimously convicted of theft.

Terry admitted two charges of using a false instrument and one offence of forgery in connection with the house sale.

The judge, Recorder Charles MacDonald, bailed Terry until November 28 for sentence.

The court heard police will investigate where the proceeds of the sale have gone as Mr Page is entitled to compensation.

Outside court, Mr Page said he would never have given up his share of any profit from the sale.

He said: "I am pleased the jury could see the truth and they believed me. I am determined I am going to get the money back."

During the trial, the jury heard how the couple bought the house together in the early Nineties for £45,000. But their ten-year relationship ended in 1999 and Mr Page moved out to live with his mother.

Terry accepted Mr Page continued paying towards the mortgage but said she got into arrears and was worried the house would be repossessed.

She said she had tried to contact Mr Page to arrange the sale but he had told her he wanted nothing to do with the house or the proceeds.

The prosecution told the court she hatched the plan to sell the house and keep all the profit.

In April last year she forged legal documents claiming Mr Page relinquished ownership of the house in order for the sale to go ahead.

In August the property was sold for £127,000 to John Taylor, her son Daniel's boss. The house was later sold on to her son and she has remained living there.

She told the court: "He told me I could have it all. If he asked me for half the money, I would have given it to him."

During the trial the court heard how Terry still owns half of a property in Patcham where her ex-husband lives.