A burglar and fraudster who pretended to be a government official and preyed on the vulnerable and elderly has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Michael Brooke, 54, of no fixed address, appeared at a number of properties in Sheffield and Rotherham, claiming to be a ‘official’ such as a police officer or a council worker.
Brooke began the string of offences on December 28, 2021, when he fraudulently sold a television that was not his to sell to another man who paid him via bank transfer.
Then, on January 8, this year, Brooke entered a retail establishment on Fitzalan Square and sold jewellery to employees while claiming to have purchased them at a car boot sale.
Brooke also committed three ‘false official’ burglaries in Rotherham on January 11.
The following day, on January 12, Brooke broke into a house in Sheffield, claiming to be a police officer there to discuss CCTV cameras. He stole a handbag before fleeing, once again distracting the resident.
DC “Michael Brooke shamelessly preyed on vulnerable people for his own gain, repeatedly lying to them to get into their properties and stealing from them,” said Dan Priest of Sheffield’s burglary investigation team. We will always work to prevent such incidents from occurring and to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities, including the elderly.
On Tuesday, Brooke pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and four counts of burglary at Sheffield Crown Court (7 June). He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Brooke was initially charged with two additional burglaries. He did not enter a plea for these charges, and they will remain on file.
