Burglar targeted elderly victim's home as she slept

David Brown was jailed for three years, nine months over the break-in at the property on Eastbourne Drive, Pontefract.

Brown forced a window and climbed in through the victim’s window as she slept in the early hours of the morning on November 12 last year. Leeds Crown Court heard Brown then went into another room and stole a purse which contained £50 and her medication. The victim was not disturbed during the incident as she had removed her hearing aid before going to bed but was distressed when she woken to find her home had been ransacked. Brown, of Marton Avenue, Hemsworth, was arrested after he was linked to footprints found at the scene. He refused to comment but eventually pleaded guilty to burglary on the day he was due to stand trial. Brown has been before the courts on five previous occasions for house burglary. His offending dates back to 2001 and he has served a number of prison sentences.

Simon Batiste, mitigating, asked that Brown be given credit for his guilty plea. Mr Batiste said Brown had been in custody on remand for over six months since his arrest. He said Brown was sorry for what he had done. Jailing Brown, Recorder Nigel Sangster, QC, said: “You are a persistent burglar. This was an elderly and disabled lady who lived in sheltered accommodation. Fortunately, because she took her hearing aid out she did not hear. But she woke up to the distress of finding that someone had broken in to her flat.”