Hovingham woman, 65, disturbed burglars in her house (From Gazette & Herald)

Hovingham woman, 65, disturbed burglars in her house

3:05pm Wednesday 1st July 2009

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BURGLARS surprised a convalescent woman during her morning bath and got away with £15,000 of silverware and antiques, York Crown Court heard.

The 65-year-old victim got out of the water and wrapped a towel round herself when she heard a loud bang downstairs and went to investigate, said Stephanie Hancock, prosecuting.

She found Anthony Burdess, 38, and his accomplice looting her home near Hovingham They made their getaway in Burdess’s red car, which they had parked in her drive, dropping a carriage clock as they went. “The complainant was extremely distressed throughout the incident. When she tried to call the police she was unable to do so because of her state. Neighbours came to her aid and stayed with her until police arrived.”

Two hours later, officers stopped Burdess as he drove the car through his home village in County Durham with all the loot except two silver spoons.

After hearing how drug addict Burdess had suffered a heart attack since the burglary, Recorder Paul Sloan QC suspended a 52-week prison sentence for 12 months on condition that the burglar does 12 months’ supervision and 12 months’ drug rehabilitation and put him on a 12-hour nightly curfew for three months.

Burdess, of Knaresborough Road, Murton, Seaham, County Durham, pleaded guilty to burglary.

“His family has had a very serious fright as a consequence of this man’s illness and perhaps that as much as anything will bring him to his senses so that he will be resolved to sort out his drug problems,” said his barrister Taryn Turner.

Miss Hancock said that Burdess denied police suspicions that he had visited the woman’s village four days before the raid and that the burglars had targeted her home.

Mrs Turner said his offending was fuelled by drugs and he had been using hard drugs for a “very long time”.

This may have precipitated his heart attack, and he now had serious heart problems. His partner was standing by him. The judge said although the victim, who had been recovering from an illness at the time of the raid, had suffered “very real harm” through the raid, he thought society would benefit in the long-term if Burdess could be persuaded to kick his drug habit.

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