A woman was stunned when she returned home from a shopping trip to find a burglar selling her belongings. The victim came home to a local removals firm packing up expensive items such as her TV, fridge freezer, washing machine and dryer.
Leoni Chater had tricked the removals men into thinking she owned the items by using the victim's birth certificate as 'proof'. Chater, who had forced entry to the house by breaking a kitchen window, is the victim's ex partner's niece.
Newcastle Crown Court heard she was paid £120 for the items, which the victim estimated to be worth around £3,500. Chater fled when confronted by the householder taking the £120 she had been paid, ChronicleLive writes.
Omar Ahmad, prosecuting, said the offence happened on September 2 last year in Gateshead. Mr Ahmad said: "Just after 2pm she returned home after shopping and she came home to find a removals van outside and some of her personal items in the van.
"When she asked the removals men she was told there was a female inside taking her items. The defendant was purporting to be the complainant, using her birth certificate."
The victim, who later had her items returned, said: "This left me feeling scared. I feel I can't go outside my house but I've a responsibility to look after my mam in the community."
Chater, 32, of Aycliffe Crescent, Gateshead, who has 41 previous convictions, including for attempted robbery, burglary, theft, and fraud and had been released on licence at the time, pleaded guilty to burglary and fraud and was jailed for 20 months.
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Jane Foley, defending, said: "It seems the cause of her offending is her misuse of alcohol. She now accepts she needs help and intervention to control her drinking."
