Burglar who tricked her way into pensioners' home by pretending her autistic six-year-old son was missing then tried to swipe purse is jailed 

  • Lauren Ashford, 29, claimed her son had climbed out of bedroom window
  • In reality, both her children had been taken from her and put into care
  • She was jailed for two years and eight months at Cardiff Crown Court
  • Victim couldn't believe anyone could be so callous to concoct such a story

By Jenny Stanton For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Jailed: Lauren Ashford, 29, turned up at the couple's doorstep claiming her six-year-old had climbed out of his bedroom window

Jailed: Lauren Ashford, 29, turned up at the couple's doorstep claiming her six-year-old had climbed out of his bedroom window

A former heroin addict tried to steal a purse from the home of two pensioners after duping them into believing she was searching for her missing autistic son.

Lauren Ashford, 29, turned up at the couple's doorstep claiming her six-year-old had climbed out of his bedroom window and she needed to search their garden for him, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

But in reality, two of her children had been taken from her and put into care.

It is said she was upset on the day she committed the offence because it was one of their birthdays and she was not allowed to contact them.

She had taken a large amount of Valium and drunk alcohol, the court heard.

On January 7, Ashford told the pensioners her name was Louise and begged to search their back garden.

Prosecutor Rebecca Griffiths told Cardiff Crown Court yesterday: 'She said her son suffered autism and had climbed out of his bedroom window and disappeared.

'Because this was a terraced house in the Adamsdown district, Cardiff, she had to go through to get to the garden and the couple helped her.'

Ms Griffiths said the couple called out the name she gave them over the fence and when they couldn't find him, made her a cup of tea.

The court heard she asked for a cigarette, said she felt sick and would like another cup of tea.

It was when the couple got back to the living room with the second cup that they found she had moved seats and was now sitting on a chair where a shoulder bag had been hanging, the court heard.

'She was actually sitting on the bag and the purse from inside had been taken out,' Ms Griffiths said.

Ashford was asked to leave and was arrested the next day, on January 8, at the YMCA in Roath where she had been living since her release from jail for an identical diversion burglary in 2013. 

She admitted the burglary and asked the court to take into account an attempted burglary committed 30 minutes earlier when she went to a house a few doors down from the couple's home with the same story.

Justice: Ashford was jailed for two years and eight months when she appeared at Cardiff Crown Court (pictured) yesterday

Justice: Ashford was jailed for two years and eight months when she appeared at Cardiff Crown Court (pictured) yesterday

A woman there said Ashford was pretending to be upset but she could see it was 'just an act'.

In mitigation it was said Ashford, a former heroin addict who had relapsed, was upset that day because it was the birthday of one of her two children who had been taken from her and put into care.

She wasn't allowed to contact them and took large quantities of alcohol and Valium. 

Jailing her for two years and eight months, Judge Neil Bidder QC said committing more offences on top of the 32 already on her record wasn't the way to see her children again.

He said: 'This was premeditated and you clearly targeted people who were aged 65 and 70 and were vulnerable.

'You took advantage of their charitable and trusting nature with an utterly false but a heart-jerking account of a missing six-year-old.

'It was an unpleasant experience and had badly affected them. They may never feel secure in their home again'.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she could not believe anyone could be so callous as to concoct such a story.

'My faith in people has gone,' she said.

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