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Carla Dorward, 42, of HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, appeared in Southampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary, one count of theft from a dwelling, and six counts of fraud by false representation.
She received a three-year and eight-month prison sentence.
The first incident occurred between 6.40am and 6.55am on 14 August 2021 at a flat in North East Close, Southampton.
Dorward knocked on the occupant’s door, a man in his 70s, and asked to use his toilet, to which the man agreed.
Dorward entered the occupant’s bedroom and stole his mobile phone and gold jewellery worth up to £725 before fleeing the address while the occupant was out of sight.
The second incident occurred on March 26th, between 6.30pm and 7pm, at a flat on Paynes Road in Southampton.
Dorward knocked again on the occupant’s door, a man in his 70s, and asked to use his toilet.
When she got inside, she started drinking wine from her bag and asked if she could sit there for 30 minutes until her ‘uncle’ got home.
After she left, the man discovered that £15 in cash and a bank card had been stolen from his wallet.
The bank card was then used to make purchases totaling £114.52 in various stores.
The third incident occurred on March 27th, between 5pm and 5.38pm, at a flat in Padwell Road, Southampton.
The occupant, an elderly woman, was in her bedroom when she heard a noise in her front room. When she went to investigate, she discovered Dorward in her home.
Dorward informed the woman that she had left her keys in the lock and advised her to “be careful not to leave your keys in the door.” Dorward is thought to have gained entry using a spare key from a wall-mounted key safe outside the flat.
Dorward agreed to leave when the women asked her to. After Dorward left, the victim noticed her handbag had been moved and her purse, which contained £70 in cash, bank cards, and club cards, had been stolen.
All three incidents were reported to police, and officers conducted investigations that resulted in Dorward being charged with these crimes.
The investigation was led by PC Noora Abbasi of Hampshire Constabulary’s specialist burglary team, Operation Hawk.
“Burglary is traumatic enough regardless of age,” she said, “but for Dorward to target members of our community who are especially vulnerable is heinous.”
“For the gentleman who was burgled in 2021, his phone was a vital lifeline, and the jewellery had sentimental value that cannot be quantified.”
“We are relieved that justice has been served, and Dorward will be removed from our streets, where she will be unable to prey on others in the coming years.”
I hope this sentence sends a strong message to burglars that we will find you and ensure your victims receive justice, and that the community can see how hard we are working to reduce this particularly invasive type of crime.
