Burglar who was nine months pregnant broke into Chesterfield home to feed drug habit

Derby Telegraph ^ | 17 DEC 2022 | Martin Naylor

[nickcarraway]

The pensioner was on a Zoom call to her church when Danielle Bavister broke in and took ornaments

A burglar was nine months pregnant with her now-born daughter when she burgled a bungalow belonging to a 91-year-old woman who lived alone. Derby Crown Court heard Danielle Bavister's victim was on a Zoom meeting call to her church when the defendant sneaked in.

The 26-year-old, who was first convicted of breaking into houses when she was aged just 12, stole ornaments which held sentimental value to the victim who said she now feels "broken" that someone would carry out such a crime against her. But because of a combination of factors, a judge chose not to send the defendant immediately to custody.

Handing Bavister a 20-month jail term, suspended for two years, Judge Michael Fowler said: "I have regard to the fact that this is not a case where there has been any planning. This was, as the defendant states herself random where she took advantage of seeing the premises and committing the offence which was brought about by her need to feed her drug habit at the time.

"She suffers PTSD as a consequence of her early life and also her personal and domestic life in abusive relationships and this offence was committed when she was nine months pregnant. But since then she has shown genuine regret and remorse and has taken steps to sort out her problems. She's no longer taking drugs, a fact backed up by her providing negative drug tests which confirm that."

Sarah Slater, prosecuting, said the burglary took place on July 3 this year at a bungalow in Avenue Road, Chesterfield. She said the 91-year-old victim, who lives alone, was on an online Zoom meeting with her local church as she has mobility issues.

The prosecutor said the victim heard her alarm sound at the front door and went out but no one was there. Miss Slater said: "She heard the alarm again 10 minutes later and found the front door was open and so called her son, who came and checked but found no one.

"About a week later, the victim found that four ornaments had been stolen from another room she does not use very often. All of them had sentimental value to her as they had either been left to her or were presents from family.

"In her victim impact statement, she says she felt very upset by the burglary, no longer feels safe at home and had to change the locks. She said she feels 'broken by someone entering her home."

Miss Slater said Bavister was identified via CCTV and was arrested after she had given birth to her daughter and made full admissions to what she had done. The defendant, of Chaucer Road, Whittington Moor, Chesterfield, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and has been convicted of house burglary on three previous occasions when she was aged between 12 and 15.

Andrew Wesley, mitigating, said his client suffers post-traumatic stress disorder from her life growing up mainly in the care system and had been using class A drugs but is now clean.

As part of the suspended sentence order, Judge Fowler ordered the defendant to be subject to a 12-month mental health treatment programme and to attend 20 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Sounds like a country song, right there.

[A strike]

Judge Michael Fowler: “ ... this is not a case where there has been any planning.”
“...brought about by her need to feed her drug habit at the time.”
WTF does that have to do with the law/offence?

Apparently we competing with UK for the most total dumb@$$ “judge” of the year ?

-fJRoberts-

[smokingfrog]

[dsrtsage]

She sounds like she’s way hot