A THIEF who burgled a 74-year-old woman in a night-time raid and stole her pension money as she slept has been jailed

Rhys Abdi was high on drugs when he broke into her home in the Pill area of Newport and took £300 in cash from a tin beside her.

She described seeing the defendant above her as she was waking up before he fled.

Prosecutor Nik Strobl said the defendant made off with her Post Office bank card and withdrew £250 from a cashpoint on Commercial Street.

When the victim tried to contact her daughter for help, she noticed Abdi had also pocketed her mobile phone.

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Cardiff Crown Court heard how the burglar went on a “crime spree” which included targets on Newport’s Albert Avenue and Merriot Place overnight on February 8 and 9.

Mr Strobl said how Abdi, who had 32 previous convictions for 58 offences, stole laptops and a bank card in the other raids.

The 36-year-old defendant, of Caerau Road, Newport, pleaded guilty to three burglaries and one attempted burglary.

The 74-year-old woman’s victim personal statement said: “I felt the man above me as I woke.

"This crime has really shocked me. I have been left feeling very vulnerable and alone.

“It is a horrible feeling. It has left me in a state of fear and anxiety.

“This incident has really hurt me emotionally. It will take me a long time to get over it.

“I hope the person responsible knows what he has put me through by breaking into my home.”

Another complainant said: “I feel this crime has been a complete invasion of my privacy.

“My home is my safe place but this has left me devastated.

“I have lived here for 20 years but I feel I may not be able to stay here in the future.”

Mr Strobl said Abdi left behind a footprint at the scene of one burglary.

He said the police had also found on him the receipt of the £250 he took from the cashpoint.

Harry Baker, mitigating, said his client knew he was going to receive a long prison term and asked the court to take into account his guilty pleas.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: “There wasn’t significant planning in this case but this defendant was out on a burgling spree.

“It is also aggravated by his previous convictions.

“It was late at night and he was under the influence of drugs.”

Turning to Abdi, she told him: “This must have been very frightening for your victims.”

Judge Lloyd-Clarke jailed him for four years.