Burglar sentenced after stealing speaker from Northampton home while occupant was sleeping upstairs

A Northampton homeowner was left feeling frightened and unsafe after she found an opportunistic burglar in her house in the middle of the night.

Raysha Mohomed took a £300 speaker from the property on Overstone Road in 2018, Northampton Crown Court heard yesterday (Monday, March 2).

The 24-year-old, of Moore Street, Kingsley, was given a 12-month community order but warned she avoided jail because of her previous good character and mental health issues.

Recorder Timothy Green told her: "It was a very frightening experience for the homeowner, to be woken up in the middle of the night and find you in there.

"She was left badly affected by it as she didn't want to leave the house and felt vulnerable as you might expect."

The court Mohomed entered the house sometime between 11.50pm on September 5, and 12.10am the following morning as the keys were left in the front door.

The occupant was woken up by the noise downstairs and went to investigate, finding the burglar who left with a Beats speaker.

In a statement, the victim said she often travels for work and lives alone but after the burglary she was scared to leave the house unattended for long periods of time.

"It can make it difficult at times as I don't feel safe by myself sometimes," she said.

The court heard how a side effect to Mohomed's schizophrenia medication left her worried about being ridiculed so she spent less time at her supported accommodation and started taking class A drugs and drinking alcohol.

The defendant had no recollection of the burglary and initially denied any involvement to police when she was arrested at the end of last year but she pleaded guilty at a previous hearing at the crown court.

Mr Green said: "This is an unusual case as dwelling house burglars are frequently sent to prison when the occupants are in but in this case, I want to impose a community order."