Burglar hung out victim’s washing and unpacked shopping

A woman discovered her house had been broken into by a burglar who hung out her washing, put her shopping away and cooked a meal on her stove.

Damian Wojnilowicz, 36, was jailed for 22 months at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday for carrying out the unusual burglary in Monmouthshire on 16 July.

The woman said she was was left too scared to stay in her own home after returning from work to find items had been moved in the garden and her recycling bin had been emptied.

The burglar left her a note saying: “Don’t worry, be happy, eat up and scratch.”

The court also heard the bird feeders had been refilled and plant pots had been moved.

Inside the house, a pair of shoes had been removed from packaging, which was placed in the recycling bin.

Prosecutor Alice Sykes said a meal had been cooked using items from the woman’s cupboard.

Shopping had been taken from a bag and placed in the fridge, which had been rearranged.

Kitchen utensils had been placed in the bin, and new ones from the shopping bag had been laid out.

And toothbrush heads had been replaced on toothbrushes, an empty bottle of wine had been placed in a rack having been drunk, and the floor had been cleaned with a mop and bucket left out.

The victim also saw a bottle of red wine had been left out next to a glass and bottle opener, and there was a bowl of sweets on the living room table.

She spoke to her neighbour who described seeing someone hanging out washing.

In a victim personal statement, the female victim said: “Two weeks after the crime until he was caught, I was living in a state of heightened anxiety I had never experienced before.

“I wondered if it was somebody who knew me, if it was going to turn into a stalking incident, if he knew I lived alone and if I had been targeted.

“I was too scared to stay in my own home and stayed with a friend.”

A second burglary took place at another home on 29 July, when the male homeowner received a CCTV alert on his phone which showed Wojnilowicz walking on his driveway.

The defendant went on to use the shower in a summerhouse to wash and clean his clothes. Food and drink had also been consumed and the hot tub had also been left dirty.

The victim asked his son-in-law to attend the property and the defendant appeared to be drunk and was holding a glass.

He was asked to leave and did so, but the burglar was later arrested. His DNA was found on fingerprints from the first property he burgled.

The homeowner said he felt “sick, horrified, and useless” when he became aware of the burglary.

Tabitha Walker, defending Wojnilowicz, said her client was homeless at the time of the offences and was undergoing a number of difficulties. She said he was apologetic to the victims, and for the harm he had caused to them.

Sentencing, Recorder Christian Jowett said: “This was a significant intrusion in their homes.”

Wojnilowicz, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary.

The court heard he has four previous convictions for offences including common assault, public order offences, and failing to surrender.