Shropshire Star

Police found Ludlow woman wearing jewellery stolen in burglaries

Police found a Ludlow woman wearing jewellery taken during two day-time burglaries when almost £22,000 worth of property was stolen, a court was told.

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Natasha Wear had also sold several items of jewellery at a Hereford gold market in the days after the raids in March this year.

Other items recovered from Wear 's home at Sandford Road by police were identified as being part of the haul.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court, Wear, 26, was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Wear, who had admitted two charges of burglary, will also be under supervision for a year and must complete a residential skills training programme.

Judge Peter Barrie said Wear had become involved in the thefts as "a desperate response to being in debt".

He said he accepted she had been the driver and that somebody else was also involved but, although she did not enter the two premises, she was still responsible for what happened.

Mr Robert Edwards, prosecuting, said the two burglaries were on March 25 at villages in south Shropshire and Herefordshire.

The owners of a cottage in Colebatch returned home at lunchtime to find a bedroom window had been smashed and the rooms searched.

He said that two air rifles and a large amount of expensive jewellery, some of sentimental value, worth more than £21,000 had been taken.

Later the same day at Lentwardine the owners of a house discovered there had been an untidy search of drawers and cupboards and £600 worth of jewellery was missing.

Mr Roberts said the lane to the property was closed for road repairs, but a blue car had been seen near the house.

He said police checked CCTV at a nearby petrol station and a Citroen Saxo with a woman driver and male passenger was seen.

The car was registered to Wear and she was later arrested. Officers noticed she was wearing some of the jewellery and other items were still at her home, along with a receipt for property sold at the market.

Wear made no comment in interviews and no-one else has yet been arrested for the burglaries.

Miss Laura Nash, for Wear, said her client was vulnerable and had financial difficulties, but was extremely remorseful for her actions.

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