Jailed Sheffield heroin addict stole police officer's wallet during burglary

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 5 how burglar Anton Ziga, aged 31, of Rushby Street, Grimesthorpe, Sheffield, struck at a nearby property on Popple Street and at another nearby property on Robey Street.

Gurdhial Singh, prosecuting, said Ziga stole £2,845 worth of property from the home on Popple Street including jewellery during a burglary in December, 2021, as well as a bank card which he used repeatedly to obtain £82 worth of goods.

Mr Singh added that Ziga also raided a home on Robey Street in February, 2022, and stole items including a TV and an Xbox, as well as a laptop and a wallet belonging to the occupant’s brother, who is a police officer.

Defence barrister Richard Adams, representing Ziga, said: “He was a labourer for many years but of course in 2020 he was laid-off and he began to become heavily involved in heroin.

“Heroin took a grip on him and he was able to address that offending by doing menial cash-in-hand work.

“Heroin is a drug that tends to alter people’s lives, perceptions and values and this was the case in Mr Ziga’s particular circumstances and he found himself committing an offence of burglary.”

The court heard Ziga was caught after a neighbour in the first burglary had recognised him and the defendant was also captured on CCTV in the neighbourhood during the second burglary when some of the stolen items were recovered.

Ziga, who has previously been convicted of another burglary, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and seven offences of fraud concerning the stolen bank card.

Mr Adams added Ziga had gone from being a good, working man who lost his employment during the Covid-19 pandemic and developed a heroin addiction but he has since begun a methadone prescription and he is desperate not to repeat his offending.

The judge – Recorder Felicity Davies – sentenced Ziga to 18 months of custody after she told him she had taken into account that he began committing offences after he was laid-off during the pandemic and that since he has been remanded in custody he has got off drugs.