A woman who climbed through her neighbour's bedroom window brazenly walked out wearing her stolen winter boots. Eleonora Fitzgerald, 33, alerted the terrified woman to her presence by banging around as she was sat in the living room of her ground floor flat.
After walking into her bedroom, the victim found Fitzgerald, of Stockport, ‘rummaging’ through her things. She shouted at her to get out, at which point Fitzgerald left wearing her new gifted winter boots.
The woman later noticed she had also taken a dress, camera, TV and her car keys - which were never recovered. That same afternoon Fitzgerald burgled another house nearby, after breaking the lock on the back gate and smashing the lounge window.
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She was interrupted after the woman and her child came home and found her in the hallway. Pleading guilty to two offences of burglary, Fitzgerald was jailed for two years at Manchester Crown Court.
James Preece, prosecuting, said that both offences took place on June 26 this year in Stockport. The first at a flat on Swann Lane, at around 12.30pm, whilst the woman was sitting in her living room.
She heard banging and went to investigate, to find Fitzgerald, her neighbour, rummaging through her belongings.
“She was shocked at what she saw and began to shout at her to get out of the house,” Mr Preece said. “When she walked past her, the defendant had stolen - and was still wearing - her new winter boots.”
She later discovered the other items taken, which Fitzgerald had packed in the woman’s bag.
In a victim personal statement, the woman said she was shaken up following the incident. She said the boots were a gift from her daughter and were later returned in a spoiled condition after Fitzgerald had worn them in wet weather.
“I usually keep the bedroom windows open during the night and day so I can keep a flow of air through, especially in the current heat, as it is difficult to be in the flat,” she added.
“I now keep my windows locked as I’m terrified if another intruder enters my home.”
That same day CCTV caught Fitzgerald breaking the lock on the back gate of a house on Radley Drive before checking to see if anybody was inside. Loud banging could be heard before she broke the lounge window.
She then searched for a number of minutes before the homeowner and her family returned home to find her in the hallway, the prosecutor continued.
“The defendant began talking nonsense before handing her some keys which she had never seen before and walked out,” Mr Preece added. No items were taken during the second burglary.
Fitzgerald was arrested and interviewed, stating that during the first burglary she was at home in her bed and during the second burglary that she was ‘sleep walking’. She later admitted to both offences.
Fitzgerald was said to have previous convictions including 20 offences of theft and burglary.
Mitigating, Steven McHugh said his client was in an abusive relationship ‘for some time’ which led her to taking class A drugs. “She tells me her grand plan is to disassociate from these individuals and go back to Belfast,” he said.
“She seems to get into a toxic relationship and returns to class A drugs. She just wants to move on as quickly as she can.”
Sentencing, Judge Sarah Johnston said: “This type of offence is deeply troubling for homeowners. We see our homes as a place of safety and sanctuary on our return, and where we leave our troubles outside.
“You made your problem with drug addiction and made it the problem of these two homeowners. That is not right.
“I find you are a vulnerable woman due to your long standing heroin addiction and a series of abusive relationships.”
Fitzgerald, of Swann Lane, Cheadle, was jailed for 24 months.
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