A burglar who rummaged through a jewellery box in the bedroom of a 100-year-old woman, was shocked to be confronted by the woman, who stood unmoving in her corridor.
Richard Allanson had earlier tried to steal from a 65-year-old resident in the neighbouring apartment at a retirement complex in Beverley, Yorkshire, as he looked to find things he could sell for drugs money, a court was told. Prosecutor Connor Stuart said another plucky pensioner warned Allanson to get out when he heard him trying the door of his apartment at 7.30pm. Allanson then went next door, and into the flat of a 100-year-old woman.
She heard him stealing from her jewellery box and confronted him as she stood in the hallway. As she challenged the burglar, she called her 78-year-old daughter, who arrived minutes later to confront the burglar in the bedroom. Allanson pretended to be a police officer and he held up some kind of identification badge. He claimed that he was looking for drugs but later fled to the communal area of the retirement block.
When police arrived, he was found slumped over the wheel of a car, Hull Live reports. During interview with police, he said that he could not remember anything because of the drugs that he had consumed. The 100-year-old woman later said she had since left the retirement accommodation because of her fears. She felt scared and was worried in case the burglar had a weapon and could have used it on her.
Mr Stuart said that Allanson targeted vulnerable victims, but he was impaired due to the amount of drugs that he had taken, which made his actions impulsive. Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said that Allanson claimed he had been visiting an elderly friend at the retirement complex.
He was “deeply sorry” for his actions. Allanson sought solace in alcohol and drugs following the death of his mother.
Mr Shipley said that Allanson could not explain why he was in the bedroom of a 100-year-old and was rifling through her jewellery box. Judge Gurdial Singh replied: “I can. He was committing burglary to steal jewellery to sell for drugs.”
Allanson, 38, admitted offences of burglary and attempted burglary on July 24 last year. Judge Singh at Grimsby Crown Court said he would give Allanson one more chance. He was given a 21-month suspended prison sentence, 120 hours’ unpaid work, a six-month alcohol treatment programme and 10 days’ rehabilitation.
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