Sheffield Crown Court: "Wicked" serial burglar posed as a carer as she conned her way into elderly people's homes

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 10 how Toni Machin, aged 33, formerly of Guild Road, in East Dene, Rotherham, targeted five vulnerable pensioners in Rotherham while they were in their own homes as she posed as a carer between October and November, 2021.

Prosecuting barrister Tom Jackson said: “They are all dwelling burglaries. They are all committed against vulnerable, elderly victims, all within a mile of each other between Rotherham town centre and Herringthorpe.

"In each case the defendant posed as a carer or some sort of official. Initially saying she was with Rothercare or another such professional from Rothercare.”

He added: “Once gaining access to their homes, the defendant has then stolen valuable items having distracted all of the victims.”

Conwoman called victim’s bank and pretended to be his daughter

Machin first struck at a 79-year-old woman’s flat at Shaftesbury House, on Kenneth Street, on October 23, offering a vacuum cleaner and claiming to be part of a company amalgamated with Rothercare, according to Mr Jackson.

Mr Jackson said that after Machin left her victim noticed her purse with £100, a bank card and water payment card had been stolen. The purse had also contained photographs of her deceased husband and son.

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The defendant also conned her way into the home of a 79-year-old man, at Shaftesbury House, two days later after claiming she had been looking to install CCTV because of undesirables in the area, according to Mr Jackson.

Mr Jackson said Machin phoned the victim’s bank and pretended to be his daughter to establish he had just been paid his pension and after she left with his £20 supposedly to buy him milk her victim realised she had also stolen his mobile phone, a tablet device and bank cards.

Machin struck again at an 86-year-old woman’s bungalow on Longfellow Drive, at Herringthorpe, on October 31, with fake Rothercare identification, according to Mr Jackson, and after she left her victim discovered she had stolen her purse, cash and photos of her grandchildren and a medallion watch of sentimental value.

Mr Jackson said Machin also targeted an 81-year-old man’s flat on Johnson Court, Rotherham, on November 5, where she gave him an Actimel drink and combed his hair and after leaving saying she was getting her hairdressing kit he realised she had stolen his and his wife’s mobile phones.

Finally, Machin struck at a 73-year-old woman’s bungalow on Longfellow Drive, Herringthorpe, on November 5, claiming she was from Rothercare, according to Mr Jackson, before she stole a handbag and purse with various cards, change, keys, a diary and a piggy bank with £30 to £40 in cash.

Mr Jackson said police tracked down Machin after she was identified from CCTV footage and from forensic links on the vacuum cleaner and the Actimel bottle and she was found hiding under a pile of clothing at an address in Rotherham.

Mother-of-two Machin, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to five counts of dwelling burglary.

Defence barrister Gurdial Singh said Machin had been married with children and had her own business in Lincoln but after she developed an addiction to a pain killer after an accident she met a homeless man in Rotherham and was introduced to heroin.

Mr Singh added: “This individual introduced her to heroin and so it was her life fell apart and she started committing shop thefts to fund her addiction.”

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC confirmed Machin had been “completely under the thrall” of this “Rasputin-type character” and after this man had introduced the defendant to heroin she committed these “terrible crimes”.

He sentenced Machin to six years of custody and told her: “You preyed upon elderly people for economic advantage fuelled as you were by heroin as a result of becoming involved with this Rasputinesque individual.

"Not withstanding, as I explained, you made the decisions as you did and you executed your task with zeal and determination, and it was truly wicked.

"You richly deserve a sentence of six years’ imprisonment for this mean offending.”