Thief made pals with men before stealing money
A CRUEL thief befriended two vulnerable men in their 70s before stealing cash from them in their own homes, a court heard.
Michelle Gilley forced her way into a 73-year-old man’s home in the early hours of the morning despite being banned from going near his address.
The 41-year-old pretended to be a police officer before pushing past him and refusing to leave, later stealing money from his trouser pockets and a bag of coins.
Less than 24 hours later, Gilley went to another vulnerable man’s house and asked to stay – before taking money from his trousers.
Gilley has now been jailed for 10 months after admitting burglary, theft and assaulting a police officer.
Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said the 73-year-old had known Gilley for a year and has had “repeated problems with her.”
Newcastle Crown Court heard the man, described as a “vulnerable adult,” was asleep at his Lemington home in the early hours of May 13 when he was woken up by the defendant coming into his home.
Mr Wardlaw said: “He allowed her to stay at the address overnight and she took the opportunity while he was in the bathroom to take £80 in cash and a mobile phone she had sold to him three weeks earlier for £40.”
The victim reported the theft to the police and Gilley was given an exclusion order banning her from the area.
However, just over two weeks later, on May 28, the victim was woken up in the early hours of the morning by Gilley throwing stones at his window.
The court heard he did not let her in the house but 40 minutes later someone knocked at his door, claiming to be a police officer.
Mr Wardlaw said: “He opened the door to his flat and realised it was the defendant, who forcibly pushed past him to get into the address.
“He told her to leave and did consider contacting the police but was in fear of her.”
Again Gilley took the opportunity to steal from the man while he was in the bathroom, taking £45 from his trousers, which were on the living room floor, and a bag of coins.
At around 6.15pm that day, Gilley went to the home of the second victim – a 76-year-old “vulnerable” man who said she had borrowed money from him in the past without repaying it.
The court heard the victim let her in when she knocked on the door, and “could not get her to leave”.
Mr Wardlaw said after midnight he went to bed and left her on the sofa, leaving his shoes on top of his trousers – which contained £190 in cash – in case she tried to steal the money.
Gilley later came into the bedroom to ask for a sheet before dropping it over the trousers and rummaging through the pockets, stealing the money.
The first victim said he had been left feeling “sick” and “unable to sleep” by the thefts, while the second said: “I am very angry with Michelle. I tried to help her and she has taken advantage.”
Gilley also pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker after being arrested and punching a female police officer in the stomach as she approached her to conduct a strip search.
Alec Burns, mitigating, said Gilley, of Denmark Street, Byker, Newcastle, was now sober “for the first time since her early teens.”
The judge, Recorder Matthew Happold, sentenced Gilley to 10 months behind bars, telling her: “The pre-sentence report describes you as having little to no remorse.
“I am not persuaded rehabilitation at the moment is realistic
“You have a long history of refusal to comply with court orders and you are still attempting to minimise responsibility.”