A heartless thief who stole money from a bereaved mother which was meant for a memorial for her late infant son has been jailed for 32 months.
Joseph Scott Price, from Barry, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to theft and burglary.
The court heard how Price, 29, of Bassett Street, stole £95 from bereaved mother Amy Thomas on June 23 – money which had been raised by a church collection to fund a memorial in memory of her son.
The court was also told how Price, who appeared via video link, burgled a house in Windsor Road in Penarth on the same day where he stole a TV, games consoles including an Xbox, and a leather jacket and a wallet.
'Hand in her purse'
Prosecutor Julian Greenwood said the defendant had become friends with Miss Thomas, who had recently lost her infant son.
The court heard Price had paid her a visit and, as midnight approached, the defendant made a remark about the tragedy that upset Miss Thomas after which she asked him to leave.
The prosecutor said: “It was at that point that she noticed his hand inside her purse on the sofa.”
He said the complainant challenged the defendant but Price told her he was looking for the remote control to the TV.
When he left Miss Thomas discovered that £95 was missing from her purse and called the police.
'Lowest of the low'
Describing the burglary Mr Greenwood said the defendant noticed a window of a house ajar when he was walking down Windsor Road after the theft.
Price climbed through the window into the living room more than once to take games consoles, a Samsung TV, a wallet and a leather jacket before concealing them outside the property and later returning in a taxi to pick them up.
The prosecutor read out a victim impact statement on behalf of Miss Thomas in court in which she said the whole incident had made her feel physically sick.
It said: “It’s the lowest of the low. It makes me angry more than anything.
“I am really vulnerable at the minute. I feel violated.
“I just lost my baby and I don’t need people like this in my life. I feel like my house is cursed.
“I would have given him a loan for a taxi if he had only asked.”
'Ashamed'
The court also heard how the homeowner of the property Price burgled was in West Wales at the time but his partner and three children were upstairs during the incident.
Adam Sharp, for the defence, said about the burglary: “The offence would appear to be opportunistic in nature. The degree of intrusion is restricted to the living room.”
He said the defendant and Miss Thomas had met online and the incident was the third time they had met.
Mr Sharp said: “He sought to grieve with Miss Thomas but he had taken at that time unprescribed anti-depressants and had consumed alcohol.
“He’s ultimately ashamed of what he has done. He’s not a sophisticated offender, nor is he somebody without genuine remorse for what he’s done.”
'Despicable'
Recorder Catherine Brown said: “Quite apart from the burglary, which was no doubt very upsetting for the householders who lost their goods from their property, the theft was in particular distressing circumstances. The victim of the theft was someone who you knew.
“She was a lady who had suffered a tragedy only very shortly before this offence took place. She had lost her young baby.
“As the evening went on, I have no doubt that you made a comment to her about the death of her baby which was extremely upsetting.
“You then, when you left, took out of her purse a sum of money that had been collected for a memorial for her baby.
“To that young lady, with the circumstances in which that theft occurred, that was a despicable thing to do.
“Society does not like people who behave in that way.”
Price, who has 21 previous convictions for 38 offences including theft, shoplifting and criminal damage, was jailed for a total of 32 months for both offences and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170.
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/despicable-thief-stole-money-grieving-11652977
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