Darren Brown, pictured paying tribute to Inja Gong, who died after jumping from a balcony at Munden View.
A drug addict who was praised as a hero after trying to resuscitate a dying woman later burgled the house of her grief-stricken partner, a court heard this week.
Darren Brown, of Munden View, Watford, admitted using a key he had been entrusted with to break into his friend, Dennis Chantler's home in March. Once inside Brown stole £40 from his neighbour's money jar.
Brown, 35, later told police he then spent the money on cocaine.
At Watford Magistrates' Court, Brown was yesterday sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work in the community and ordered to pay £87 in court costs.
Brown had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of dwelling burglary.
Mr Chantler and Brown both live in Munden View, one of two high-rise blocks of flats in the Meriden estate, north Watford.
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The two became friends following the death of Mr Chantler's fiancée, Inja Gong, last October.
On the night of her death Brown, who lives in the flat above Mr Chantler, heard a disturbance in the flat below and rushed onto his balcony.
Looking down he saw Ms Gong's body lying motionless on the pavement, 13 floors down.
He then rushed down to tend to her and even tried to administer CPR on the corpse - having completed the first day of a first-aid course that day.
Three days later the Watford Observer published a story about Ms Gong's death - which was later recorded as suicide - and detailed Brown's role in the tale.
At an inquest into Ms Gong's death, Hertfordshire's coroner, Edward Thomas, praised Brown's actions and personally thanked him for trying to save Ms Gong's life.
However, yesterday morning (Thursday) Watford Magistrates heard the day after the inquest, on Thursday, March 13, Brown entered Mr Chantler's flat while he was at work to steal money.
The court was told that Mr Chantler had given Brown a key to his flat in case of emergency or if he got locked out.
Mr Chantler returned from work that evening to find the money jars inside his home had been moved and cash had been stolen.
He then contacted the police who later arrested Brown.
He has since given the money back.
Magistrates heard Brown had enrolled himself on a drugs treatment programme and that he had been "upset" on the day of the crime, prompting him to take the money and spend it on cocaine.
On Thursday, magistrates ordered Brown to carry out 120 hours of unpaid community work. The work must be carried out over a 12-month community order.
The lead magistrate Margaret Redding told Brown his order had been reduced because he had pleaded guilty and shown remorse.
Brown's legal representative, Mr Killington, told the court: "He effectively fell off the rails on this occasion.
"Afterwards he regretted it very much and took steps to see that Mr Chantler was repaid as soon as possible."
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