Woman who helped pawn stolen TV is spared jail

Gemma Willock was caught on camera in Normanton town centre with her former partner James Bruce walking to Cash Planet, while he was carrying a 43" Logik TV that he had stolen in a burglary hours before.

Leeds Crown Court was told that Bruce had broken into his neighbour's flat on Castleford Road in Normanton on the afternoon of September 10, 2020.

The TV had been bought for the resident by his step daughter and was worth around £275, prosecutor Jade Edwards said.

Cameras in the town centre were later checked after the burglary and Bruce was seen carrying the TV, partially covered in a sheet, while accompanied by 35-year-old Willock.

He emerged from the shop a short time later without the TV.

It was never recovered after man bought it from Cash Planet a short time later.

The court was told that Willock has a long criminal history, with 25 convictions for 44 offences, including 38 thefts.

Willock, of Grafton Street, Castleford, was originally charged with burglary and was due to stand trial. However, she admitted the lesser charge of handling stolen goods which was accepted by the Crown.

Bruce, who was 41, was also charged with burglary but passed away before his case was brought to court.

A probation report into Willock suggested she happened to be in the "wrong place at the wrong time", and had gone to Bruce's flat after he had burgled his neighbour, and accompanied him to the pawn shop without knowing the TV had been stolen just minutes earlier.

Mitigating for Willock, Christopher Morton, said that she was a recovering heroin addict who had relapsed at the time.

The judge, Recorder Anesh Pema told her she had an "unenviable record" for thefts, but spared her a jail sentence.

He gave her a 12-month community order with 10 rehabilitation days.