Burglar James Chatterton stole ashes from Southowram house

James Chatterton had taken a cocktail of intoxicants, including heroin and crack cocaine, when he targeted homes trying to sell razors saying he was raising money after his brother had died of cancer.

Chatterton, 28, with a bad record for offences of violence and dishonesty, ransacked an unoccupied house in Southowram in broad daylight, stuffing high value property into two big bags, prosecutor Alisha Kaye said.

His haul included a television set, a phone, a laptop computer, a computer tablet, an iPod, a sound dock, a blood pressure monitor, bottles of spirits, jewellery, figurines, keys and prescription medicine.

But most distressing of all, he had stolen the urn containing the householder’s late mother’s ashes.

Fortunately, all the property was recovered when a have-a-go-father, whose daughter’s home had just been targeted by Chatterton, blocked in the taxi called to transport the bags of swag from the scene.

Miss Kaye told how Chatterton first went to a house near to the ransacked property.

He turned up at 2pm on June 5 saying he was collecting for charity in memory of his brother. He tried to sell the woman householder razors but she declined.

Chatterton, 28, of Carmel Road, Boothtown, Halifax, then looked into an outside storage box, peered through windows and tried a door, watched by the woman on her CCTV monitor.

She called her father and the police, seeing Chatterton trying the door on her locked car as he walked off.

He then knocked on the door of a nearby address trying to sell razors. The householder saw that he was intoxicated and soon afterwards he heard banging from the property next door.

Chatterton was seen loading property into a taxi but he was foiled when the first victim’s father arrived on the scene looking for him.

He blocked in the taxi and when Chatterton tried to make off on foot he detained him on the ground until the police arrived. Officers were already investigating the attempt-ed break-in nearby and were quickly on the scene.

A television set, a crowbar and two large bags were seized from him by the police.

“You’ve got me bang to rights,” Chatterton said when he was apprehended.

Victim personal statements from both women were read out in court.

The first home owner said she was now more anxious, checking out of the windows and on the CCTV to make sure all was well. She had installed extra security at the house which now felt less of a safe place.

The woman whose home was ransacked said she felt afraid, sad and victimised.

She now locked herself in, trembled and felt sick. She had lost both her appetite and her interest in going out for walks.

Chatterton had 25 previous convictions for 36 offences, including theft and going equipped, but nothing for burglary.

He pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to attempted burglary, interfering with a motor vehicle and burglary.

Eleanor Durdy said in mitigation that he was extremely ashamed of his behaviour; especially that he took the urn with the ashes in it.

He claimed to have no recollection of committing the offences after taking a cocktail of Class A drugs and prescription medicines.

He was glad to be remanded in prison because he had been taking so many drugs that he would otherwise be dead by now, he had stated.

Miss Durdy said he suffered with PTSD, ADHD, anxiety and depression.

He was addressing his drugs misuse in prison and determined to turn his life around.

Judge Colin Burn jailed Chatterton for a total of 20 months, making the sentences for each burglary offence concurrent.

He said the householders were left anxious and upset. The second house was ransacked leaving the victim with a sense of violation.

There was some element of planning and he didn’t accept that Chatterton didn’t know what he was doing, although he was ‘off his head’ on a number of substances.

There was, however, a degree of genuine remorse and a desire to change.

He had a bad record but had managed to keep out of trouble for about six years before committing the offences.