Burglary duo jailed for wicked crime as they targeted home of Brighouse pensioner

A judge at Bradford Crown Court described the crime as “wicked” after hearing how the victim had lived at the property for more than half a century and that her husband had gone into a nursing home just before the burglary in March this year.

Prosecutor Becky Jane told the court how the complainant challenged drug-user Georgina Thornly when she found the 43-year-old standing in the porch of her home.

Miss Jane said the woman asked Thornly what she was doing in her house, but the defendant walked away and it was only later that the victim discovered that items had been taken from her purse including cash and two “irreplaceable” family photographs.

The police were contacted after the distressed victim sought help from a neighbour and CCTV footage was recovered which captured the incident.

Miss Jane said it showed Thornly’s accomplice and fellow addict Robert Kaye, 32, waiting outside the property while she went into the porch and the house.

The pair were tracked down later that same day at Kaye’s home in West Parade, Halifax, and they were both arrested.

Thornly, of Lower Edge Road, Rastrick, and Kaye both pleaded guilty to the burglary charge and Kaye also admitted possessing several wraps of crack cocaine which were found on him.

In her victim impact statement the complainant described how the crime had left her feeling very upset especially because the family photographs were irreplaceable.

The court heard that Thornly had 29 convictions for over 60 offences on her record and on the day of the burglary she had been due to sign at Halifax police station as part of her bail conditions for another matter.

Judge Jonathan Rose jailed the pair for 27 months each for the burglary, but he added an extra two months to Kaye’s sentence because he had breached an existing community order.

The court heard that Thornly felt ashamed of the offence, which was her first house burglary, and she was now receiving help with her mental health and drug problems while on remand.

Kaye was said to have played a subordinate role as a look-out and he had also engaged with a methadone programme while at HMP Leeds.

Judge Rose said burglary offences were an intrusion into the private homes of people who had worked hard and were entitled to enjoy the sanctity of their homes.

“You targeted a vulnerable woman. That is wicked there is no other word for it,” he told the defendants via a video link.

He said it was a group offence targeted at an elderly lady who was entitled to spend the autumn of her life in peace and undisturbed by people like Thornly and Kaye who committed crime to “fritter away” the money on drugs.

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