Drug addict jailed for purse theft in woman's home
A drug addict who admitted walking into a pensioner's house in Telford and stealing £200 from her purse as she stood in front of him, has been jailed for 12 months.
Norman Jones, 38, knew his victim in Kensington Way, Oakengates, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard on Tuesday
His victim, a 69-year-old woman who has since died, had previously given Jones somewhere to live when he was homeless, prosecutor John Oates KC told the court.
He said: "The complainant had known the defendant for about 15 years. He used to be a neighbour but when he was homeless she helped him out and let him stay at her address. In recent times, she told him to leave the address due to his drug addiction."
He added that Jones returned to the address on May 10 last year at 4.25pm while the complainant was in her living room.
"She saw the defendant in the back garden. He came through from the patio and into the living room where he stroked the complainant's dog then picked up her purse and took money out of it totalling £200," he said.
After Jones fled, the complainant contacted police and officers saw on CCTV the defendant climbing over her back garden gate to gain entry to the property. The CCTV also showed Jones leaving and shouting abuse abusive to his victim after taking the money.
Rosemary Proctor, acting for Jones, said her client had an addiction to class A drugs, including crack and heroin as well as with prescription medicines.
She told the court: "He understands there is no excuse for what he did. He also told me he is disgusted with himself.
"He has demonstrated real remorse and is quite clearly vulnerable. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is seeing a psychiatrist."
Before sentencing Jones, who had pleaded guilty to the offence at an earlier magistrate's hearing, Judge Anthony Lowe heard how the defendant had been in remand for the last seven months and would serve half the sentence handed down by the judge before being released on licence.
The judge told him: "I'm sure you are aware, as I am, that those who take drugs are a different person when they are taking drugs as to how they are when they come before me."
He continued: "Because you have spent such a long time in custody, I have been very tempted to see whether or not I should impose a sentence that would allow the probation service to spend some time working with you.
"The reason I am not doing that is it sends the wrong message to you. You need to know in the back of your mind that when you are high on drugs that there is a sound going off that says 'if I do this I will go to prison'. It also needs to go out to the wider world that people who commit these offences go to prison.
"The sentence is one of 12 months imprisonment. While as far I can see, you may have served that sentence with the time you have spent in custody, but my sentence to you is one of 12 months and whether you are released or otherwise that is up to the prison service."
