A woman has been sentenced after breaking into a Nottinghamshire couple's home as their three-month-old baby was sleeping. Anne-Marie Thompson, 27, or Mawfa Avenue, Sheffield, previously pleaded guilty to burglary in a dwelling and assault by beating during a previous hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on May 5.
Thompson was sentenced by Judge Rafferty QC at the same court on Tuesday, August 9 to a total of 14 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. She also has a community order for two years, and it not allowed into Worksop except to visit her mother while accompanied by a family member for the same period.
Thompson had 30 previous convictions for 57 offences before this. Being sympathetic towards Thompson's mental health issues, when delivering the sentencing, Judge Rafferty said: "I hope you can seek help this time."
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In the early hours of April 1 at a property on Gateford Road in Worksop, Thompson entered a property through an open kitchen window where a couple and a three-month-old baby were sleeping. She was intoxicated, and started switching lights on in rooms through the property, which woke the couple.
Thompson peered around the bedroom, where the man recognised her after they stared at each other for a period of time. He quickly got dressed and chased after Thompson, but she had escaped through the kitchen window.
The living room and kitchen had been "ransacked", is how Ms Pritchard, prosecuting, described it during proceedings. The man called police at around 2.55am after two £5 notes, motorbike keys and his partner's ID and bank cards were stolen.
Later the same day, at around 10am in the morning, the man went looking for Thompson, and found her in a property on Gladstone Street. Thompson was asleep on the sofa, was woken by the occupier and handed over some of the stolen items back to the man.
Thompson then tried to leave the property, and the man tried to stop her, getting her to the floor, but she then assaulted him. She was found with two £5 notes when she was arrested.
The man has said he feels like it's his fault, and that he and his partner can't sleep in the bedroom anymore, so much so that they've moved their bed into the living room as he can't forget seeing Thompson's face. The living room is closer to where their children's bedroom is, so they also feel closer to them.
The woman says she doesn't feel safe in her own home, and has trouble sleeping. Ms Joyce, defending, said that Thompson did not target the home, which Judge Rafferty agreed with.
Thompson has a number of mental health issues, which include post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD and emotionally unstable personality disorder, which Judge Rafferty agreed was partly because of her upbringing and background. She has since moved away from the Worksop area and now lives with sisters in Sheffield, and Ms Joyce said: "Things seemed to be working out well there."
When delivering the sentence, Judge Rafferty said: "For the first time, you've acknowledged the problems you have. There comes a time when you make a choice about mental health issues.
"If you slip back, you may not get another chance like this again. I'm going on thin ice for you with this - if you breach the order, you will give up on a chance you have failed to take.
"The burglary was done without thought, under the influence of alcohol and with no thought for anyone else." Thompson was sentenced for 12 months for the burglary and two months consecutively for the assault, totalling 14 months, suspended for two years.
There is also a restraining order in place on Thompson for the next five years with the people she burgled.
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