Jail warning for Brierley Hill woman who raided pensioner's home (From Stourbridge News)

Jail warning for Brierley Hill woman who raided pensioner's home

8:00am Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News

A BRIERLEY Hill woman who stole food from a pensioner's home because she was hungry is facing jail.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard 26-year-old Leanne Dovey, of Lower Derry Street, left a drop of blood at the scene of the raid in Amblecote Road and that enabled police to track her down through DNA testing.

Dovey had pleaded guilty to burglary and she was set to be sentenced for the crime by Judge Michael Challinor.

But Jas Mann, defending, maintained Dovey had serious problems relating to her drinking and he asked for an adjournment for the preparation of a medical report.

He said Dovey desperately needed intervention in her life to assist with her troubles adding: "Her problem is her excessive drinking."

The judge remanded Dovey on conditional bail until Monday October 15 but he warned: "She must understand custody is the likely outcome."

The court had been told a window was smashed to gain access to the home of the 85-year-old who found his downstairs lights on when he went to investigate noises in the middle of the night.

The man saw a figure jump out of a downstairs window while a neighbour spotted two people running away.

Police later found a wheelie bin had been put up against the window to get into the property.

A lump hammer that had been used to break the window was also found along with a carrier bag containing items of food and, after her arrest, Dovey told police she had little recollection of the offence because she had been taking drink and drugs.

The judge told Dovey that a condition of her bail meant she had to obey a curfew between the hours of 8pm and 8am.