Burglar who stole medals and gifts from widow jailed
A CRUEL thief stole medals belonging to a pensioner’s late husband during a spate of seven burglaries in one night.
Jamie Lawson first targeted the elderly woman’s home in Fenham, Newcastle, while she was away on a festive break.
He made off with Christmas gifts, the medals, a harmonica and an ashtray.
Newcastle Crown Court was told that the burglary was the 23-yearold’s first of the night and, over the next few hours, he went on to break into six more houses, sheds or garages.
The prolific crook was eventually caught when the victim in his last property spotted him trying to force entry through a kitchen window and rang the police.
Now, Lawson, of Ponteland Road, Cowgate, is beginning a prison sentence of more than three years after he pleaded guilty to four attempted burglaries of a shed or outbuilding, a theft of a bike, an attempted burglary of a dwelling and a burglary of a dwelling.
The court was told that Lawson first targeted the elderly widow’s bungalow while she was away on holiday in the early hours of December 30 last year.
He gained entry through a closed but unlocked door and stole medication, a watch, St Christopher medals, a harmonica and an ashtray.
Summing up the burglary, Judge Tim Gittins said: “No doubt those items were not significant to you but they were deeply sentimental to the owner as they belonged to her deceased husband.
“It also came after the householder had recently suffered a heart attack and would have caused significantly more distress to her, although you were not to know that.”
Next, Lawson attempted to break into four different outbuildings or garages, at three different properties within the same area, and stole a pedal cycle from outside another.
During one of the break-ins, he damaged the ignition of a motorbike in an unsuccessful bid to steal it, the court heard.
Finally, at around 8.30am, Lawson tried to raid another home.
Prosecutor, Kevin Wardlaw, said: “The occupant became aware of a noise from the rear of the address and saw the defendant attempting to force entry to a kitchen window with garden tools, causing the window to crack.
“Upon seeing the occupant, the defendant ran off leaving the pedal cycle, which he had stolen from a previous location.
“The occupant also saw that an attempt had been made to open his shed.
“He contacted the police and gave them a description.”
Officers found Lawson nearby and discovered he was still in possession of the stolen items from the widow’s home.
Paul Caulfield, defending, said Lawson, who has 30 past convictions for 49 offences, had pleaded guilty.
He added: “There’s no motivation – he has absolutely no recollection of the night. It’s clear he will have ingested a significant quantity of drink or drugs or both.”
Lawson was jailed for three years and three months.