Burnley: 'heartless' man jailed after stealing £11k of jewellery from 'vulnerable' widow while he worked as a cleaner at her home

Darren Thorpe, 54, had been working as a cleaner at the victim’s property.

But all the while he’d been stealing ‘priceless’ items from the unsuspecting widow.

Some items recovered in cash trader shop

He was spotted on CCTV at a local cash trader shop, where some of the items were recovered.

Thorpe, 54, of Parklands View, Burnley, was charged with theft in a dwelling and later pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods when he appeared at Burnley Crown Court earlier this year. Last week he appeared at the same court and was jailed for 12 months.

‘Priceless’ memories of late husband

Police attended the Burnley home on November 17, following reports £11,000 worth of jewellery had been stolen – including gold necklaces and a Gucci watch.

Extracts from the victim’s impact statement to the court, highlight that the stolen items contained ‘cherished memories’ of her late husband.

She said: “It is not just the objects that they stole, rather it is the immense sentimental value and memories that were attached to them. In my case it was memories of my loving late husband of 40 years. I felt closer to my late husband as those items stolen had priceless memories attached to them."

‘I cannot trust my judgement now’

Describing herself as an ‘elderly female who never thinks bad of anyone’, she went on to explain the lasting impact the theft has had on her physical and mental health.

She added: “I was anxious and nervous as I considered myself to be a smart individual, but I cannot trust my judgement now. To begin with, I had sleepless nights due to thoughts such as the people responsible for committing this crime might call me or come to my address to threaten me.

“I would like to state that in a situation as this, it is certainly not the financial issue that causes the distress rather it is the emotional aspect of this.”

Police describe Thorpe’s actions ‘callous’

PC Fraz Usman, of Burnley Police, said: “This was a callous crime committed against a vulnerable victim who trusted Thorpe. He betrayed that trust and the impact on the victim is obvious and long-lasting.

“I am pleased with the conviction against Thorpe and the fact he will now be held accountable for his actions.”

Appeal for stolen items still missing

Items stolen included: a silver-coloured stainless steel Gucci watch; three 9 Karat gold bracelets; a gold pendant sapphire and diamond 14 Karat gold; a 9 karat gold Opal/sapphire ring; an Oblong Alexandrite Pendant 18 karat gold chain; an 18inch Gucci gold chain; an18inch birdcage 14 karat gold chain; and a golden Opal and diamond ring.

We are appealing for anyone who sees any of the items described above to please get in contact with police. We particularly want to hear from pawn shop owners who might have been offered similar items from November 17 onwards.

Email [email protected] or call 101, quoting log 307 of November 17, 2022.