A serial thief with over 70 convictions stalked a blind man in a wheelchair home from the pub and robbed him of £6 inside his own property. Angela Burns, 53, was sentenced to prison this week for the heartless attack on the 86-year-old OAP who she pushed to the floor as she forced entry in his home.
The nan, who previously carried out a similar spineless theft five years ago, has already spent 15 years in and out of jail for preying on vulnerable elderly people, the Liverpool Echo reports. The then 47-year-old criminal had attacked a 72-year-old registered blind man in the late afternoon of January 4, 2017, after he had been drinking in the North Star pub on Laird Street in Birkenhead.
When he returned home he heard a knock on his kitchen window and went to his front door where he recognised the voice of ''Angie from the pub'' that he was a regular at. She offered to sell him a jacket then forced her way into the home and pushed the elderly man onto a sofa bed and pinned him down.
Burns then stole £160 in cash from the OAP's wallet and was later jailed for three years and eight months after she admitted to her crime. The mum-of-two was released from her sentence in 2018 but was subsequently recalled to serve the entire term.
Burns has now amassed a total of 70 convictions for 100 offences. She was given 18 months for a robbery in 2002 after stealing an elderly disabled man’s wallet.
In 2007, she received another three and a half year sentence for three burglaries where she targeted an 81-year-old man. Five years later she was imprisoned again for three years and four months after tricking residents in sheltered accommodation into letting her into their homes and burgling them too.
She also fraudulently posed as a care worker at Foxleigh Grange in Birkenhead to steal money from elderly victims and after being caught in that incident, the notorious thief said she wanted to make a change in her life for the sake of her grandkids. However, in June 2014 she was back in prison for eight months for theft after she targeted a vulnerable 70-year-old man with extreme learning difficulties.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday she gained access to her latest victim's home after he answered his front door when she knocked at around 2pm on August 22. Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, said he found Burns on the other side "appearing ready for a fight".
She then "pushed him really hard" and barged past him, causing him to fall backwards and smack his head off the wall. The now 53-year-old then "rummaged through" his coat in the hallway and stole £6 in cash before leaving.
The site's duty manager Patricia Johnson saw the man leaving his home "looking very distressed" and screaming "she has taken my money". Ms Johnson advised Burns, of Connaught Way, to vacate his home and later helped him pick her out in an identity parade.
She reported the site had been plagued by "undesirable people" visiting and the thief had been coming around "for about 10 years". She also said Burns had previously been reported by staff for her behaviour, who suspected she had been "taking advantage" of residents.
The court heard a statement on behalf of the complainant's daughter which described how the traumatising incident had led to the elderly man's health "deteriorating". The pensioner has also stopped "looking after himself properly" after not taking his medication which resulted him in staying in hospital for a fortnight.
He was then admitted to hospital again after his wife was sectioned and is currently still there. The statement added: "I believe he was traumatised by the offence.
"He has become noticeably more confused. My dad was a man who valued his independence and would go out on a daily basis.
"Since the offence, he can hardly leave the flat. It's clear his confidence has been badly affected.
"I'm worried for his mental health. I believe he does not want to talk about it and is trying to block it from his memory.
"I believe he is affected by it on a daily basis, he is now a shell of himself. It did take its toll, this changed his life and knocked dad off balance.
"This offence had far reaching consequences. The value of money stolen was small, but the impact of the offence has been far greater.
"Both my father and mother have been scared - clearly, this is no way for them to live. I want the court to understand how one event can have such a life-changing effect."
John Weate, defending, said: "Regrettably and sadly, this is a woman who has had her life blighted by the misuse of controlled substances. A sad reflection on the situation is that this is a defendant who has become more comfortable in custody than on the outside."
Burns pleaded guilty to robbery and was jailed for another six years, with an additional four-year licence period. She was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge and given an indefinite restraining order.
Sentencing, Judge Stuart Driver KC said: "Your criminal record contains 100 previous offences, including a history of burglary in dwelling which - since 2017 - then developed into a pattern of committing robberies on elderly people in their own homes - such people are very vulnerable, and violence against them leads to a serious risk of causing them serious harm. I am satisfied that you are a dangerous offender."
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