Pregnant Wakefield burglar handed suspended sentence

A court heard Amy Whitehead was three months pregnant when she helped a gang target the property in the early hours of the morning.

Whitehead, 29, was caught after being identified on Facebook as the culprit by people in her local community.

Catherine Robinson, prosecuting, said the burglary took place at a house on Duke of York Avenue, Wakefield, on May 12 this year.

A couple lived at the property with their four children, including a new born-baby.

Miss Robinson said the dad woke up during the night when the baby began crying.

He then heard floorboards creaking downstairs and the sound of someone rummaging through cupboards.

He looked out of the bedroom window and saw Whitehead standing near the doorway holding the baby’s changing bag.

The prosecutor said the victim also saw a man climb over his garden fence and pass items to another man.

The burglars left when they heard police sirens.

Downstairs cupboards were found to have been opened.

Property stolen included baby’s clothing, three children’s money boxes, car keys and a lap top.

The children’s mother was later contacted by people on Facebook who named Whitehead as one of the burglars.

Police went to the mother-of-four’s home and the stolen laptop was found in a washing basket.

Whitehead, of Buckingham Court, Wakefield, pleaded guilty to burglary.

At the time of the offence she was the subject of a community order for shoplifting.

James Littlehales, mitigating, said Whitehead was due to give birth to her fifth child in November.

He said Whitehead had been in prison for three months since the offence.

Mr Littlehales urged Recorder David Gordon to impose a suspended sentence so she could receive help from the probation service to address her offending behaviour.

She was given a 21-month sentence, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to take part in a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Recorder Gordon said: “It is no great pleasure for me to have a woman in the dock of the court who is six months pregnant.

“But she is in many ways the author of her own downfall.”