A FORTY-one-year-old Carlisle woman who helped a man break into a neighbour’s flat has admitted burglary.

The city’s crown court heard that Emma Aitken’s involvement in the night-time offence was limited to her throwing a mobile phone to the man so he could look around the property.

Charles Brown, prosecuting, described how residents in Highfield Avenue, Morton, Carlisle, saw Aitken and her co-defendant – 22-year-old Connor Ingledow – carry out the crime.

It happened shortly before 2am on May 6 last year.

Neighbours saw Ingledow stand on a wheelie bin so he could clamber on to the first floor balcony of the flat he was breaking in to.

He then broke a window and got into the flat.

“Miss Aitken was waiting on the ground while he was doing that,” said Mr Brown.

He shouted down to her, asking her to ‘chuck up” his phone. She went into a nearby flat, found Ingledow’s phone and threw it to him.

Mr Brown continued: “He then went back inside using the torch [on the phone] to look around. That was the limit of her involvement.”

Inside the flat, Ingledow stole a vaporiser, a bar stool, wireless headphones, and a £93 in cash.

Kim Whittlestone, for Aitken, formerly of Highfield Avenue but now living in Dalbeattie, Scotland, said the defendant was “extremely remorseful.”

The barrister said the defendant was categorised as being a “low risk” of reoffending.

Judge Michael Hayton QC told Aitken: “This is entirely out of character for you.

"You were in drink at the time and I'm satisfied you were led astray.”

The judge imposed a 12 month community order.

Ingledow, of Newtown Road, Carlisle, admitted the burglary.

The judge agreed that a pre-sentence background report should be prepared about him by the Probation Service.

Ingledow was granted bail and will be sentenced on August 10.