A mute and disabled 87-year-old woman watched in terror as a prolific burglar crept into her sheltered accommodation at night and stole her jewellery.
Dean Lennox had visited the block of the flats in Torquay the day before knocking on doors and offering to clean windows.
He returned in the early hours of May 20 to commit what the judge at Exeter Crown Court called 'one of the worst' domestic burglaries he had dealt with in a long time.
Cameras placed in the room by the victim's daughter caught 40-year-old Lennox walking around while the frightened widow watched him from bed.
She had previously suffered a stroke and was unable to move or call for help.
Lennox moved some of the cameras to avoid being seen and took the batteries from one, Devon Live reports.
He stole three rings, including a gold wedding band, £90 in cash and a wallet the elderly woman had kept because it belonged to her late husband.
The defendant, a drug addict, admitted burglary and was jailed for three years and four months.
Prosecutor Mr Brian Fitzherbert said the victim lived in a second floor flat in a block used as supported accommodation for retired people with support needs.
At 7.05am the next day the elderly woman's daughter checked an app on her phone and noticed the motion cameras had been activated in her mum's room at 3.30am.
She looked at the footage and saw a man standing in her mother's darkened bedroom.
It shows Lennox, dressed in a hooded top, trousers with cargo pockets and trainers, searching the victim’s bedroom using his mobile phone as a torch.
The elderly woman is seen staring at him, but unable to react.
Her daughter went to the flat not knowing what she would find, said the prosecutor.
She found her mother crying and distressed but unable to tell her what had happened. Checks at a local jeweller revealed a man matching Lennox's description had sold three items for £45 at 10am that day.
Officers were able to recover all of the stolen items.
The defendant committed the offence while on prison licence from a previous non-dwelling house burglary, the court was told.
He had a long list of previous convictions for dishonesty but only one for house burglary.
Ms Kelly Scrivener, defending, said he was disgusted by his behaviour.
Judge David Evans said: "This is one of the worst domestic burglaries that I've seen in a long time.
"The particular inhabitant, who I am willing to accept you may not have encountered face-to-face before but who you now saw in bed, suffered from a stroke, was immobile, mute and was only able to look in what must have been terror at you burgling her property.
"She was utterly helpless to do anything about it."
Judge Evans said he was completely satisfied Lennox had targeted the block, knowing the tenants would not be able to raise the alarm or stop him.
"You obviously knew this supported accommodation housed vulnerable and elderly people," said the judge. "That's why you went back. "
"You have been to prison many times and have had the opportunity to change your ways.
"The victim is 87 years old. In the very twilight of her life you have left her every night feeling scared in her very disabled state."
After the hearing, Detective Inspector Jennifer Rose, head of the department, said: "We want this incident and the police’s response to send a clear message to those who choose to target vulnerable people within our society.
"We will go to great lengths to catch and convict those who commit these crimes.
"In this case, within nine hours of the offence being committed, police had the suspect in custody and had recovered the stolen jewellery.
"This was a multi-faceted approach by several departments and we are pleased that we could recover the stolen items, but also provide the family with some peace of mind that the suspect in this case has faced justice."
