'Courageous' elderly resident disturbs early hours burglary

Abbie Powter broke into a bungalow in Trowbridge, leaving fingerprints on the window frame, and had been searching through the drawers of clothing.

The homeowner was unable to sleep at the time, and was lying in bed awake in the next room, able to see a light on through the glass panel above her bedroom door.

She bravely confronted the burglar, who slipped into the night, out the way she came.

Powter was identified using her fingerprints, Swindon Crown Court heard last Thursday (March 3), and when confronted by officers, kicked out at them.

Abbie Powter

She was jailed for two years after the court heard she committed the assaults whilst serving a suspended sentence for a string of previous offences including burglary, damaging a police vehicle, and theft.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Crabtree told Powter, appearing via a video link from prison, that he had “real concerns” of her ability to rehabilitate, adding: “It would not be unjust at all to activate this sentence in full.”

He continued that the officers “fortuitously” escaped injuries in the incident just before Christmas and that the only reason nothing was stolen in the burglary was that she was disturbed.

Prosecutor George Threlfall had earlier told the court that Powter, now aged 27, had entered the three-bedroom detached bungalow on Albert Road, Trowbridge on September 23 last year from the side window.

“In the early hours between 4.30 and 4.40, [the victim] was lying in bed awake, being unable to sleep, when she noticed there was a light on in the bungalow, able to see through the glass panel,” he said.

“She courageously went to the room, and saw a figure in the window, about to jump out. She said ‘what are you doing you b******’ and the figure jumped.”

The resident noticed the chest of drawers was open, clothing had been moved and scattered across the bed.

Swindon Crown Court (Image: Dave Cox)

Fingerprints were found and matched to Powter, of Sleightholme Court. Three months later, on December 23, a PCSO spotted her in the town and attempted to arrest her, but the wanted woman “struggled and kicked him”.

When back-up arrived, she also kicked a sergeant, with kick marks up the lower leg of her uniform.

Mr Threlfall told the court these offences occurred after she was given an 18-month suspended sentence for previous burglary and theft crimes.

In mitigation, Tony Bignall said that her client, who pleaded guilty to all counts, was of “previous good character” until October of last year, but became involved in Class A drugs and had a violent boyfriend.

“[He] would frequently beat her up if he didn’t get his own way,” he told the court.

“It was at his behest that she committed the burglary that your honour is about to sentence her for.”

Mr Bignall continued that there was a mix up with a prescription that was due to help Powter “ween herself off Class A drugs” when she was previously released from prison last year.

“She was a woman trying to keep herself out of trouble, she now finds herself in Eastwood Park [prison].

“She is an intelligent woman and realises the trouble she has got herself into. It is a desperately sad story, one where there was such hope and now the hope seems to be dwindling.”

Judge Crabtree activated the 18-month suspended sentence, and imposed a six-month consecutive sentence for the burglary, as well as two, one-month concurrent sentences for assaulting emergency workers.

It resulted in a total sentence of two years.

“Had I been aware of this second burglary in September [when she was given the suspended sentence], this would have tipped the scales in favour of immediate custody,” the judge said.