An elderly woman was victim to burglary when her handbag was stolen just minutes after arriving at her home.

On January 18, 2024, Deborah, 81, put her handbag inside the house on a bench near the front door after returning from a shopping trip.

She went inside to rest with her dog, and having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Deborah wanted to catch her breath before her daughter arrived a few moments later. 

But when Deborah’s daughter Louise arrived shortly after, she found the front door to her mum’s address open and immediately thought the worst.

Her daughter Louise said: “I assumed something had happened and Mum had fallen over or something, especially as she is ill.

READ MORE: Longhedge residents speak of frustration at A345 roadworks

“But pretty quickly, we realised Mum’s bag had gone and someone had been inside and taken it.

“We immediately used the ‘Find my Phone’ app and found that mum’s phone was pinging not far up the road, which we told the police and they arrived quickly and were able to locate it.

“I was more worried about Mum getting into a stew than anything else, as she is already ill and I didn’t want this to make her worse.”

Police attended the scene and located Deborah’s phone, and the following day arrested Soloman Jeffers, 58, of Harnham.

READ MORE: Highest Score Arcade opens in Cross Keys Shopping Centre

Deborah's handbag was later located by a member of the public although a number of items were missing including a driving licence wallet gifted to Deborah by her mother when she was just 17.

Deborah said: “The police were very good at keeping me updated, which I really appreciated. When they told me he’d been arrested I was really pleased. I did feel angry at myself for leaving the front door unlocked though but it could have been a lot worse.

Deborah (left) and Louise (right)Deborah (left) and Louise (right) (Image: Wiltshire Police)

“I didn’t see the need in going to court, but the police updated me that he’d been jailed for three years. I was pleased but I did feel a bit sad for him really.”

Deborah said the incident has made her more security conscious and she now always keeps her front door locked.

She added: “I’d encourage everyone to do the same, make sure they have good locks on their gates, and always keep your front door locked. Especially, if you are like me and live alone. I would also definitely encourage people to download the ‘Find my Phone’ app as it really helped us in this case.”

Jeffers pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment on April 19.