Burglar stole OAP’s handbag

A BRAZEN house burglar who calmly walked into an 88-yearold woman’s Halifax home and stole her handbag as she lay on her bed has been jailed for four years.

Bradford Crown Court heard that 53-year-old Neville Elliott had about 20 burglary offences on his appalling record and had targeted the homes of pensioners in the past.

Prosecutor Emma Downing said Elliott had been given jail terms of 48 months and 54 months in 2012 and 2015 for similar offending, including one burglary when he had pretended to be a police officer to steal £400 from the home of a 67-year-old victim.

In August last year Elliott came in through the front door of the pensioner’s home as she was resting on her bed and she saw him walk past her bedroom door to grab her handbag from the living room.

Miss Downing said Elliott then walked back out of the property with the handbag which contained the victim’s glasses, keys and a purse containing £5.

Elliott was linked to the crime after CCTV footage captured walked away from the scene with the handbag and purse

In a victim impact statement the elderly woman described how she felt very poorly after the incident and was angry at what had happened.

A tearful Elliott, of Beekshaw Terrace, Halifax, was sentenced via a video link to HMP Leeds and his barrister Abdul Shakoor said his client was very upset about his predicament.

In a letter written by Elliott he offered his sincere apologies to the victim and said he held his head in shame.

Judge Jonathan Rose jailed Elliott for four years.

The elderly woman described how she felt very poorly after the incident and was angry

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