Sheltered accommodation residents left shocked and disturbed after their home was burgled by two women bravely told them they were going nowhere until police arrived.
No visitors were allowed due to Covid when Gemma Campbell and Audra Ames gained access to Porlock House, in Jarrow, in September 2020. The pair tried a number of doors and one of them got inside the room of an elderly man, who was pressured into handing over £40.
A room of a recently deceased man was also ransacked and they stole pictures, a mirror and curtains from the communal area of the home. Newcastle Crown Court heard it was around 8.30pm that they were let into the building by a resident. They commented to one man "I bet you've never had two beauties like us in the property."
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They were in the sheltered accommodation around an hour and a resident ended up pulling an emergency cord and reported there were intruders present. Campbell and Ames, whose son, Fise was later killed, were then spotted outside stacking up stolen items next to a taxi.
A judge said they had "effectively removed anything that was not nailed down" in a communal area, including pictures from the wall, a mirror, cleaning equipment and other items. Some men who live at the home went out and Elizabeth Muir, prosecuting, said: "The men told them they were not going anywhere until the police arrived."
She added: "One resident was shaking with fear. He said he let Campbell in and she wanted to borrow £40 for gas and electric and he reluctantly gave in then she started to remove items and he tried to stop her."
Campbell and Ames pleaded guilty to burgling the dead man's flat, stealing curtains and theft of the other items from the communal area. One resident said in a victim impact statement: "To have your door handle tried is unnerving. They should not have been in the building and should not have removed our belongings. I hope they understand the impact this has had on our community."
Another resident said: "I'm extremely annoyed at them being in our care home trying our doors. I believe (another man) let them in believing they were friends of his daughter. They are taking advantage of him being elderly and easily fooled. I'm concerned what would have happened if we had not found them."
Campbell also admitted theft of meat from Aldi, as did Grant Hunter, who admitted handling a stolen Mini, driving while disqualified and having no insurance.
Campbell, 38, of Downham Court, South Shields, who has 89 previous convictions, was sentenced to two years suspended for 18 months with a drug rehabilitation requirement and rehabilitation.
Ames, 51, of Stoddart Street, South Shields, who has 41 previous convictions, was sentenced to 16 months suspended for 18 months with 100 hours unpaid work and rehabilitation.
Hunter, 45, of Beach Road, South Shields, who has 187 previous convictions and was on a suspended sentence at the time, was jailed for two years.
David Callan, for Campbell, said she is now off crack cocaine. Jennifer Coxon, for Ames, said she is vulnerable and her son was killed and that has impacted on her emotional wellbeing.
Mark Styles, for Hunter, said he borrowed the car from a friend and has been in custody for 10 months on remand.
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