May 18, 2022 4.00 pm This story is over 22 months old

Burglar jailed after stealing from sleeping woman in her home

Police recognised his distinctive tattoos on CCTV
Jerry Johnson, 25, was jailed for 20 months. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A burglar who took sentimental items from the home of an 84-year-old woman while she was asleep in her chair was on Wednesday jailed for 20 months.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Wendy Bird woke to find her handbag had been taken from the living room of her Mablethorpe home.

Jerry Johnson, 25, of no fixed address, admitted burgling the property on 4 March this year.

Phillip Plant, prosecuting, said Mrs Bird fell asleep after being left at 11am by a relative and woke at 1.45pm to find her handbag gone.

Among the items taken were a watch valued at £800, £40 in cash, some sentimental gold rings, a bank card and batteries for a hearing aid.

Mr Plant said Johnson was a disqualified driver but later the same day used Mrs Bird’s bank card to spend £21 at the Empire filling station in Mablethorpe.

Police were able to identify Johnson on CCTV from his distinctive tattoos and the car was spotted again at Tesco in Skegness at 4.30pm on the same day.

The court heard Johnson failed to stop for officers and drove away, before being involved in a collision.

Johnson also pleaded guilty to failing to stop, failing to stop after an accident, driving while disqualified and a charge of fraudulently using Mrs Bird’s bank card on 4 March.

In a victim impact statement Mrs Bird said she now felt like a prisoner in her own home and always had to keep her doors locked.

Johnson, who represented himself in court, apologised to Mrs Bird, stating: “To the lady I am really sorry. At the time I was on drugs.”

Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Johnson: “This was a very mean offence.”

He was jailed for 20 months and disqualified from driving for two years and ten months.