Thieves lay in wait for mother-of-five to go on holiday

The victim had shown 'nothing but kindness' to Ben Broadway, aged 20, and 19-year-old Ashley Aldridge, who both knew her eldest child, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The pair spotted that a panel of glass in the bottom of an outside door to the kitchen was cracked during a visit to the house in Locket Close, Walsall, it was said.

And they used that information to break into the property while the woman and her family were abroad during the night of May 28, six days after the holiday started, said Mr Christopher Lester, prosecuting.

He continued: "The lady had not been abroad before, was worried about security and had tried to hide items of value before she left. The day before she was due to return she received a message from a friend on Facebook to say that she had been burgled.

"When the family got back they found a sheet of wood installed by the housing association that owns the property covering the bottom panel of the back door where the glass had previously been cracked. TVs, a laptop and other items with a total value of £750 had been stolen."

Two days later the victim's eldest son found three of the missing televisions in a shed at an address linked to Aldridge after making inquiries in the neighbourhood. The two defendants were both arrested by police on June 5. Aldridge was found to be in possession of a Stanley knife and a bag of cannabis, continued Mr Lester who concluded: "The woman feels anger and hurt over what happened. She knows these young men. They have been in her house as friends of her son. She has limited personal circumstances and had no home content insurance."

Mr David Swinnerton, defending Broadway, who was of previous good character and of no fixed address, said: "He had stayed with her for a short time and burgling her home was no way of saying thanks. They knew she was away and there would be easy pickings."

Mr Oliver Woolhouse for Aldridge of Lister Street, Willenhall, who had previous convictions for assault with intent to rob and non-dwelling burglary, said the defendant had a drug problem which was being addressed.

Broadway was given nine months detention in a Young Offenders Institution while Aldridge received a 12-month sentence. Both admitted burglary while Aldridge also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and a bladed article.

Recorder Adrian Reynolds told them: "This mother of five had shown you nothing but kindness. She was not well off and could not even afford to insure her property before taking her family on their first holiday abroad. This was absolutely disgraceful and custody is the only way to mark the wickedness of your behaviour."