A WOMAN who burgled the home of a man described as ‘vulnerable’ has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

Hannah Hardy, 33, of Poole Road in Salterbeck, was convicted of burglary and theft on September 1, 2023.

On September 29, she was sentenced for her crimes, appearing at Carlisle Crown Court via video link from prison.

Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, said the victim, an older man with health issues, had his house burgled and his wallet, which contained cash and various ID cards, stolen.

It happened on August 30 this year, when at around 2.30pm, witnesses reported various sightings of Hardy around the Poole Road area of Salterbeck.

She was described as being in ‘a state’, sitting down by a wheelie bin near the victim's house.

One witness described her as stumbling and looking disoriented, and another described her injecting what appeared to be drugs, Mr Rogerson said.

The wallet contained roughly £40. The money was stolen, while the wallet and the remainder of its content were found in a nearby bin.

Mr Rogerson said the victim appeared to be shaken, very upset, and vulnerable afterwards.

The incident soon became common knowledge in the tight-knit community, with what Mr Rogerson described as feelings of disgust towards Hardy from residents.

It was argued that the sentence considered various factors, one of which was the targeting of a vulnerable victim that would make it high culpability. However there was no personal statement from the victim, nor any mention of ransacking or further intrusion into the property.

Hardy also received credit for an early guilty plea.

Sean Harkin, defending, said there were gaps in her offending and she was a suitable candidate for a suspended sentence order.

He agreed that it had an emotional impact on the victim, and added that Hardy expressed remorse, understood the impact caused, is determined to get off drugs, and overall wanted to put her life of crime behind her.

Recorder Julian Shaw, the presiding judge, addressed Hardy, saying that while she was struggling with addiction and personal problems, nothing excuses the crime.

Given that she has an ‘unattractive record of previous convictions’ and that this is her second house burglary conviction, it’s important she understood that a third instance would likely result in a three-year prison sentence, he added.

He imposed a 16-month sentence, suspended for two years.

Hardy must also complete 40 days of rehabilitation activity.