South Yorkshire burglar preyed upon widow and single mum

Michael Scholey smashed a bathroom wondow at a home on Linden Road, Ecclesfield, on September 20, last year, and made off with £1,713 of jewellery and electronic equipment, prosecutor Lorena Veale said.

In a statement, his victim said: “This couldn’t have happened at a worse time. I have recently lost my husband and had only just felt I had got my life back on track.”

Scholey’s spree began on September 3, when he and another man were discovered by the occupant of a house on Milcroft Crescent, Hatfield.

She was woken at 2pm, after working a night-shift, and saw them panic and climb out of the kitchen window, with £50 of jewellery and a £280 watch.

“I’m really angry and scared,” she said in a statement. “I am on my own with my 14-month-old son. It’s really upstetting knowing someone has been in my house while I was asleep.”

Sheffield Crown Court heard Scholey also stole jewellery, a watch and a photo frame from an address in Chapel Lane, Finningley, on October 4, but was traced through blood spots he left behind.

And he smashed a kitchen patio door at an address in North Nottinghamshire, causing £3,000 of damage, and took a number of watches and jewellery, on October 6.

The court heard he has 26 previous convictions He was sentenced to four years for intent to supply hard drugs, in 2016, and received two years suspended for conspiracy to supply drugs, in 2018.

Cheryl Dudley, mitigating, said Scholey and his long-term partner of 20 years had struggled with drug issues over many years, but had improved their lives when they were threatened over debts relating to their 2016 offences.

Scholey, 44, currently of HMP Doncaster, pleaded guilty to the offences.

On Thursday, Judge David Dixon said: “People are entitled to know that stiff penalties will follow those who think it appropriate to go into other peoples’ homes.”

He sentenced Scholey to a total of five years.