A woman who stole £1,465 worth of property from her former housemate to fund her heroin addiction has been spared jail.

Lisa Watkinson, 37, smashed a patio door to gain entry to an address in Wilsden on the morning of February 2.

After an “untidy search” of the house, she left with a laptop, two iPhones, a Samsung phone, some clothing, and a make-up bag.

Bradford Crown Court heard that the Samsung phone was a work device fitted with a tracker, and the handset was traced to a pawn shop in Keighley.

Watkinson had sold the phone using her driving licence as a form of ID, and she was subsequently traced and arrested by police.

She admitted the offence in interview, stating she was “ashamed” of her actions.

She said she knew her former friend had a jar of change in the house, and was looking for money to buy drugs.

The court heard that Watkinson, of West Royd, Wilsden, had previously held down jobs in a bank and as an office manager, but had relapsed into “the grip of drug addiction” after being clean for 19 years.

She pleaded guilty to a single charge of burglary.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, said Watkinson’s actions were a “mean offence committed in desperation.”

He told her: “The victim has been left let down, wounded, and absolutely furious.”

Watkinson was jailed for nine months, suspended for a year. She was also given a six-month drug rehabilitation order.