Woman broke into neighbour’s flat and stole frozen meat worth £2.60 (From York Press)
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Woman broke into neighbour’s flat and stole frozen meat worth £2.60
9:27am Saturday 18th August 2012 in Selby & Tadcaster
A DRUNKEN thief broke into a neighbour’s flat and stole a £2.60 bag of chicken thighs in a “bizarre” burglary, a court heard.
Following a night out binge drinking, Angel Kayler Jane Martin, 21, crept into a neighbour’s home in Church Street, Selby , through a window and snatched the defrosting meat from a kitchen worktop.
York Crown Court heard the owner caught Martin red-handed.
She had been sleeping in a downstairs living room with her young baby when she was woken by Martin breaking in.
She found Martin hiding behind a pram clutching the stolen frozen chicken thighs.
The homeowner ran to get her husband from upstairs but by the time the pair returned to the kitchen Martin had gone.
Martin confessed to the theft when police officers found the chicken in her fridge. She admitted she had no recollection of breaking into the house, saying she had been extremely drunk.
Andrew Kelbrick, defending, said: “She had gone out and took on board too much alcohol. She had no idea why she wanted to take the chicken which was on the side defrosting. It is a curious offence. She cannot give an explanation at all.”
Mr Kelbrick said Martin was now pregnant and addressing her alcohol issues. She had pleaded gulity to burglary at an earlier hearing.
Recorder Graeme Cook said the circumstances were “bizarre to say the least” but said it would have been frightening for the homeowner.
He said: “Bizarre as it was you are still here and still caused some anxiety.”
The court heard Martin had breached a community order imposed earlier this year after she stole £30 float money from a charity event in Selby. Magistrates ordered her then to complete 100 hours unpaid work but she had failed to turn up for sessions.
For both offences, Recorder Cook sentenced Martin to a 12-month suspended prison sentence and ordered her to pay £340 costs.
