A woman stole a purse after she tricked her way into a house on the pretext of phoning the police to report a break-in.
Leeds Crown Court heard today that the 61-year-old victim answered the doorbell on the morning of May 14 to find Alexandra Hotchkiss outside the house in Priory Place, Bradley.
John Bull, prosecuting, said she asked to use a phone and was allowed to make a call from a phone in the kitchen but the householder then saw her in the living room and challenged what she was doing.
Hotchkiss, who had given her name as Julie and an address in Huntingdon Avenue denied doing anything wrong but after she left the purse containing some cash and stamps was found to be missing.
The householder and her husband went to the address Hotchkiss had mentioned but it was not the number where she was actually living and so they did not find her.
The police were informed and they did go to her address. She admitted stealing the purse and it was found in a bin where she had dumped it with some of the contents missing.
Mr Bull said Hotchkiss was also before the court for supplying crack cocaine to an undercover officer during Operation Overwood when police targeted drug suppliers in the Kirklees area.
On November 13 last year, having met the officers in Huddersfield, she said she was a heroin user and “would be scoring drugs later.”
They saw her go into a Sainsbury’s branch where she stole some meat products which she left in an alleyway when she realised security staff were following her.
They then met her later and went to her then home address in Leeds Road, Huddersfield, where she used the officer’s phone to order drugs. A short while later a car drew up, she went out and returned with two wraps of crack cocaine, giving one to the officers.
She was arrested in June after she was identified from stills taken during the operation.
Hotchkiss, 49 of Huntingdon Avenue, admitted supplying crack cocaine, theft and burglary and was given an 18 month community order with a 50 day activity requirement.
Judge James Spencer QC told her that should give her the support she needed. “If you want to stay out of trouble you have got to finish with drugs. That is why you steal and is the pattern of your offending hitherto.”
