Ipswich: Drug addict locked up for burgling an 85-year-old woman
IPSWICH: A drug addict who broke into the home of an 85-year-old woman just eight days after she had been the victim of another burglary has been locked up for 28 months.
The pensioner, who lives in Benacre Road, Ipswich was asleep in bed at around 3am on February 23 when she was awoken by the sound of wood splintering, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
She got up to investigate and activated an alarm and when police arrived shortly afterwards they found the door between her kitchen and conservatory had been damaged, said David Wilson, prosecuting.
Leon Marshall was arrested nearby and told police he had not stolen anything from the property.
Mr Wilson said that following the burglary on February 23 the pensioner had been left feeling “tearful, anxious and on edge” and her family had spent �1,600 on additional security measures to make her feel safe.
Mr Wilson said the pensioner had been the victim of another burglary on February 15, but there was no suggestion that Marshall had been involved in it.
Mr Wilson told the court that on February 22 Marshall had broken into a house in Spring Road, Ipswich and had stolen a laptop computer which contained photographs of the home owner’s children.
Most Read
- 1 Man 'punched and slashed' in serious assault in car park at Ipswich B&M
- 2 Ellie uses 4 tonne truck to make impressive entrance at school prom
- 3 Tent, kitchen units and bedding dumped in 'unsightly' fly-tipping
- 4 Man in 40s stabbed at town centre multi-storey car park
- 5 Ipswich man, 27, arrested after stabbing in Bury St Edmunds car park
- 6 Burger van owner's anger after thieves steal food from trailer in Ipswich
- 7 Man order to sign sex offenders' registers for possessing indecent images
- 8 Travellers remain at Ipswich park after arrival last week
- 9 'We're going to push back!' - Ashton's message to Norwich City
- 10 Five popular eateries that have opened in Ipswich so far this year
In addition to her laptop, a vacuum cleaner and jewellery worth more than a �1,000 had been stolen and she had been left to bear the cost of the burglary, as she was not covered by insurance.
Marshall, 30, of Coniston Square West, admitted burglary at the house in Spring Road and burglary with intent to steal at the house in Benacre Road and was jailed for 30 months.
Roger Thomson for Marshall said he had an underlying drug problem and was hoping to sort himself out and stay clean in the future.
n Have you been a victim of crime? Tell us your story. Write to Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail starnews@archant.co.uk
