6 days Ago By [email protected] (Rob Kennedy)
A despicable career burglary who has repeatedly preyed on elderly victims to feed his drug habit is back behind bars. Time and time again, Lee Wooden has targeted the most vulnerable members of the community to steal from them. The 52-year-old has more than 80 convictions and has spent most of his adult life in prison, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
His latest victim was a 79-year-old man whose health and mobility has been adversely affected by a series of strokes and he needs a walking frame to get around his home in Blyth , Northumberland He has various key boxes at the front of his house for carers to get in without disturbing him. On September 1 this year, around 10.30am, Wooden, of Brookside Avenue, Cowpen, Blyth, rang the victim's doorbell.
He ignored it to begin with as those who attend to help him know how to get in but Wooden rang it again so he slowly went to answer it, using his walking frame. Wooden, who did not know the victim, asked for a glass of water to take some tablets and the pensioner reluctantly agreed to let him in. Wooden then had some water but without taking any tablets.
The burglar walked into the living room and the man slowly followed him and found him sitting on his sofa. Wooden then said he needed another drink of water and went to the kitchen again and didn't return for several minutes. He told the victim he needed money for milk and the pensioner said he couldn't help with money but that there was milk in his fridge.
Wooden again asked for money before walking over the the man and leaning over him for a short time before standing up and immediately leaving. The victim then realised his wallet, which had been on a table next to his armchair, was missing and he pressed his assistance button. There was between £300 and £400 in the wallet and two bank cards.
Wooden fraudulently used a bank card to buy scratch cards, tobacco and chewing gum worth more than £70. He was identified from CCTV showing him entering and leaving the victim's home and was also identified using the card in a local shop. When arrested, Wooden said he was a drug user who burgled elderly victims.
The pensioner said: "This made me feel stupid, I believe I could have stopped it. I feel I've been targeted and taken advantage of." Keep up to date with all the latest court news from the North East with our free newsletter Wooden, 52, has 87 previous convictions including several for burgling elderly people.
In 1993 he was jailed for three years for five burglaries, in 1995 he was jailed for nine years for rape, in 2002 he got ten years for seven burglaries of a number of elderly people, in 2012 he got a suspended prison sentence for burgling an elderly lady, in 2013 he was jailed for ten years for five burglaries of elderly people and in 2018 he got three years for burgling an elderly woman, entering her home uninvited. In relation to the latest offences he pleaded guilty to burglary and fraud and was jailed for four years and three months. Recorder Alistair MacDonald KC said: "It would have been obvious to anyone scouting these premises there was an elderly person living there.
"You have a history of targeting elderly victims. You have been subject to lengthy sentences in the past but nothing seems to make any difference. "You have an established history of targeting elderly victims who are so much easier to burgle than active and non-disabled younger people.
You need to understand as far as offences like this, the court will come down on you like a tonne of bricks when you target the elderly, disabled and people who are so easy to target." Penny Hall, defending, said: "He would like to pay him back if he has the opportunity to do so." She added: "He has spent many years in prison - he has spent most of his adult life in prison and has struggled in the community between sentences.
"This time he went 17 months without offending. He regrets his actions and is remorseful towards the victim." Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp community for all the latest court and crime news sent direct to your phone.
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