A burglar who let himself into a retired couple’s home has been jailed.
Steven Hill snuck in through the back door of the property in Cardiff and helped himself to a wallet before trying to withdraw cash with a stolen card at a nearby shopping centre.
Derrick Gooden, defending, said his client had “gone off the rails” following the breakdown of a relationship.
Guilty plea
The 35-year-old from Pennsylvania in Llanedeyrn admitted burgling the couple’s home in Springwood on October 28.
Tony Trigg, prosecuting, said the pair who had lived at the address for “many years” were both in their 70s.
The court heard the husband had left the back door unlocked while he worked in the garden.
Mr Trigg said: “The defendant let himself in through the back door.”
He told the court Hill took the man’s wallet from the living room, before venturing upstairs.
The prosecutor added: “His wife came home from shopping and heard the sound of someone running down the stairs.
“The defendant realised she had come in and he ran past her – there was no physical contact.”
Tried to withdraw cash with stolen card
The court heard that within 10 minutes, Hill had run to the Maelfa Shopping Centre and tried to withdraw cash using one of the stolen cards.
He was caught on CCTV in the Post Office and identified by police, who arrested him on November 18.
Mr Trigg said: “He initially denied the offence until he realised the strength of the evidence against him.”
He told the court Hill had several previous convictions for dwelling burglaries. His most recent conviction was in November for shoplifting.
Mr Gooden stressed his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
'Opportunistic' offence
He said: “This appears to be an opportunistic offence – it was not targeted.”
He added Hill had been “relatively offence free” between 2002 and 2013, but had “gone off the rails” after breaking up with a partner.
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Addressing the defendant, Judge Daniel Williams said: “You no doubt committed the offence in order to obtain money.”
Hill was sentenced to two years and five months and will serve at least half in prison.
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/burglar-snuck-retired-couples-home-10646651#rlabs=20%20p$2
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