Stephanie Saeed: Sheffield burglar caught in act after smell of 'body odour & stale cigarettes' gave her away

A woman caught burgling a Sheffield home when the smell of body odour and stale cigarettes alerted the occupant to her presence has been jailed. 

Sheffield Crown Court heard how when the complainant went into his bedroom a short time after arriving back at his home in Brockwood Park, Sheffield, he noticed a ‘strange smell’.

The complainant described the smell as being a ‘combination of body odour and stale cigarettes’ and subsequently realised defendant, Stephanie Saeed, was present in the room, prosecutor Katherine White told a hearing held on March 11, 2024. 

Saeed, aged 40, apologised to the complainant and claimed her boyfriend had told her the door would be open.

“He escorted the female out of the property, thinking nothing further of it…he began looking for his car keys, and noticed they weren’t where he left them, before realising the vehicle was no longer on the street,” Ms White told the court, adding that the complainant’s vehicle was valued at around £2,400. 

Ms White continued: “The vehicle was recovered eight days later, had damage to it, and was also on false plates.” 

The complainant later saw Saeed in the Woodhouse area of the city, recognised her from the encounter inside his flat, took a picture of her and sent it in to the police, the court heard.  

Ms White said a police officer was able to identify Saeed from ‘previous dealings’ with her, and she was arrested and interviewed.  

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Saeed subsequently asserted that she only stole the complainant’s keys - not his vehicle, which was accepted by prosecutors and Judge Sarah Wright. 

In a statement read to the court, the complainant described how a number of fines were generated for his vehicle during the eight days it was out of his presence; and he still lives in ‘constant fear’ of being chased for the money owed as a consequence. The complainant also said he had also been put at a financial disadvantage while he was waiting for his vehicle to be located because he had to take taxis to get to work. 

Saeed, who has a criminal record of 56 previous offences - several of which were for dwelling house burglaries  - from 31 court appearances, was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, offences of dwelling house burglary and failure to surrender at an earlier hearing. 

Defending, Edward Moss said Saeed, formerly of Bethal Road, Eastwood, Rotherham, knew she was about to receive a prison sentence, but is now more hopeful after becoming drug free for the first time. 

“She’s been an addict for 24 years. While in custody she’s completed every course she can. For the first time in 25 years, she can see what life is like without drugs…she now says there is a future without drugs. She’s been identified as someone who is suitable for being a drug mentor in time.” 

Mr Moss said Saeed recognises that the ‘real test’ to her sobriety will be when she ‘walks out of prison,’ and former associates inevitably get in touch; but, he added, ‘she remains as positive as she has ever been’. 

Judge Wright jailed Saeed for 27 months. She told the court said Saeed’s previous dwelling house burglaries meant she was a ‘third strike’ burglar and a minimum three-year prison therefore term applies, but she was able to reduce her sentence after taking factors such as her guilty plea into consideration.