A SELFISH and thoughtless burglar left a family ‘extremely upset and angry’ after stealing thousands of pounds worth of sentimental jewellery.

Career crook Sebastian Komorowski was disturbed while rummaging through a home in Orford by a three-year-old girl, who began screaming in the early hours of the morning.

Among the items stolen by the 31-year-old was a ring worth £5,000 and a Tiffany bracelet bought as a reminder of deceased family members.

The Polish national appeared at Liverpool Crown Court, where he was assisted by an interpreter, for sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of burglary.

But this did not spare him from being locked up and being told that his actions make peoples’ lives a misery.

Peter Hussey, prosecuting, explained how the burglary took place in the early hours of May 14 this year at a house on Tomlinson Avenue.

The homeowner, who has lived in the house for around 20 years, was at home asleep with her family, which included her three-year-old granddaughter.

At around 5.35am, the homeowner was awoken from her sleep by the sound of her granddaughter on the landing screaming, although at this stage she did not know there was a burglar in the house.

Over the next couple of hours, the family went about their normal morning routine when the homeowner’s son’s partner discovered that tobacco kept in the kitchen was missing.

She went out to buy some more, but at the till found that her bank card was missing.

It was not until early afternoon that the burglary was discovered, when a mug in the kitchen containing loose change was missing. A watch had also been taken, as had an unopened bottle of whiskey.

Sebastian Komorowski was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

Sebastian Komorowski was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

Most importantly however, jewellery of sentimental value kept in the kitchen belonging to the homeowner had been stolen.

This included a Tiffany bracelet worth £500 bought 10 years ago with money left by her late mother and a necklace valued at £800 bought by her husband six years previous during a trip to London.

As well as this, £200 worth of earrings were stolen and another bracelet that cost £1,500. The most expensive item pinched though was a ring bought by her husband that was worth £5,000.

Altogether, the items stolen were valued collectively at almost £7,000, none of which have been recovered.

In a victim statement, the homeowner said: “I struggle to sleep and the tiniest of noises wakes me up, making me fearful someone is breaking in again.

“I am apprehensive about going downstairs at night and am worried about safety in my own home.”

She added: “As a result of the burglary, we have looked at installing CCTV for security and have to save up to afford it.

“We are a respectful family and believe you have to work hard for what you have. For someone to come along and take these items has made me annoyed and extremely upset.”

The burglary was reported to the police, after which a neighbour came forward with CCTV showing the defendant entering the house and leaving 15 minutes, before driving away in a blue Mitsubishi car.

Police were able to identify the defendant and he was arrested a mile and a half away at his Orford home. The Mitsubishi was located outside and has since been scrapped for being uninsured.

Komorowski denied the burglary after being arrested, despite being shown the CCTV footage, but eventually pleaded guilty at crown court.

The burglary occurred at a home on Tomlinson Avenue in Orford (Image: Google Maps)

The burglary occurred at a home on Tomlinson Avenue in Orford (Image: Google Maps)

Turning to his criminal record, Mr Hussey said: “The defendant is no stranger to the courts, either in this country or in his home country of Poland.”

Most of his previous convictions are for burglary, including targeting a home on South Avenue in Orford and stealing a bike and booze in May 2018, for which he received a suspended prison sentence.

Jeremy Rawson, defending, asked the court to give his client credit for his guilty plea.

He said: “The defendant is realistic enough to realise his sentence is not going to be suspended.

“Custody is inevitable and he is no stranger to custody, but I ask for the sentence to be as short as possible in the circumstances.”

Before sentencing, judge David Swinnerton said: “You have been in this country since 2015 and you have built up a number of previous convictions here already.

“You stole property that caused a significant degree of financial loss, but more importantly, a large degree of sentimental loss.

“Some items people value well above monetary value, and you stole such items that have never been recovered.”

Komorowski, of Grasmere Avenue, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

After passing his sentence, judge Swinnerton added: “Burglaries make peoples’ lives a misery, and if you carry on doing that, you are going to get longer and longer prison sentences.

“Take this opportunity to work on ever issues you have got so you do not simply spend your life damaging the lives of others and wasting your own by being in and out of prison.”