A roofer's daughter has denied conning a widower out of almost £100,000.

Mother Emma Mitchell, 28, dismissed claims she knowingly received more than £15,000 from 80-year-old Leonard Heal because of her father's dishonesty, a trial at Hove Crown Court heard on Friday.

Miss Mitchell and her father Sam, 51, both of Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, deny fleecing Mr Heal out of more than £93,000 between 2001 and November 2003.

The court heard Miss Mitchell met Mr Heal three times when her father began work on Mr Heal's Haywards Heath bungalow.

She later received three cheques signed by the pensioner believing the money was the result of her father's maintenance work.

Miss Mitchell denies four charges of assisting in the retention of the proceeds of criminal conduct and two further counts of facilitating the retention, use or control of criminal property.

Her father denies eight charges of obtaining money and cash transfers by deception.

The trial continues.