A drug addict stole from a vulnerable elderly man while he was making her a cup of tea and then spat at and kicked a police officer who came to arrest her, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Stacey Trotter and her partner were invited into the man’s home in the Shipley area but she shut the kitchen door on him and stole irreplaceable pictures in a digital photo frame while her accomplice made off with an amplifier.

Trotter, 32, of Southcliffe Way, Baildon, was originally charged with burglary but the Crown accepted her guilty plea to theft. She also admitted assaulting the police officer acting as an emergency worker.

Prosecutor Mehran Nassiri told the court that Trotter was heavily intoxicated with diazepam when she committed the offences on January 10.

She distracted the victim in his home in order to steal from him and was then aggressive, swearing and resisting arrest.

Mr Nassiri said the elderly man was very disappointed by the offence. He had been caused emotional distress and he had lost confidence.

The assault on the police officer was immediate.

“She just kicked off from the moment the officer attended,” Mr Nassiri said.

He told the court the theft victim was elderly and vulnerable because he was alone in his own home.

In mitigation, the court heard that Trotter was genuinely very remorseful.

She was in the care of a mental health team after suffering significant trauma in her life.

She had also sought help with her drug problem after many years of heroin addiction.

Trotter herself had revealed her use of diazepam showing that she was openly engaging with the professionals helping her.

“She expresses deep sorrow and regret at how this offence has impacted on the complain-ant, who is an elderly, vulnerable victim,” the court was told.

Trotter led a solitary and confined life and there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

The judge, Recorder Kate Batty, labelled the theft “a mean offence” committed because Trotter needed money for drugs.

She went into the man’s house, shut the kitchen door on him and stole the digital photo frame with irreplaceable family pictures in it.

Recorder Batty said that police officers had the right to go about their work without being kicked and spat at, especially in a Covid pandemic.

But Trotter was genuinely remorseful and had been in the midst of a mental health episode at the time.

She was given an 11 month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, with ten rehabilitation activity days.