Beverley retirement complex burglar confronted by 100-year-old woman handed suspended sentence

A burglar was confronted by a 100-year-old woman when he crept into her bedroom to find items to sell money for drugs.

Richard Allanson, 38, has earlier tried to steal from a 65-year-old resident at the Waltham Court retirement complex in Beverley in July last year.

The pensioner warned Allanson to get out when he heard him trying the door at 7:30pm, before heading to 100-year-old woman's bedroom where he stifled through her jewellery box.

She heard him stealing from her jewellery box and confronted him as she stood in the hallway.

As she challenged the burglar, she called her 78-year-old daughter, who arrived minutes later to confront the burglar in the bedroom.Allanson pretended to be a police officer and held up some kind of identification badge, claiming he was looking for drugs.

Allanson later fled to the communal area of the retirement block.When police arrived, he was found slumped over the wheel of a car.

During interview with officers, he said that he could not remember anything because of the drugs that he had consumed.The woman later said that she had since left the retirement accommodation because of her fears because she felt scared and was worried in case the burglar had a weapon and could have used it on her.Mr Stuart said that Allanson targeted vulnerable victims but he was impaired due to the amount of drugs that he had taken, which made his actions impulsive.Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said that he claimed that he had been visiting an elderly friend at the retirement complex, and was "deeply sorry" for his actions. Mr Shipley said that Allanson could not explain why he was in the bedroom of a 100-year-old.

Judge Gurdial Singh replied: "I can. He was committing burglary to steal jewellery to sell for drugs."

Allanson, of Mintfields Road, admitted offences of burglary and attempted burglary.He was given a 21-month suspended prison sentence, 120 hours' unpaid work, a six-month alcohol treatment programme and 10 days' rehabilitation.

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