A man said he was left “sick, horrified, and useless” after receiving a CCTV alert showing a burlgar walking on his driveway. After sending his son-in-law to attend the property, the homeowner discovered that Damian Wojnilowicz, 36, had used the shower in the man’s summerhouse to wash and clean his clothes. Food and drink had also been eaten and drunk and the hot tub had been left dirty.
Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday heard the defendant appeared to be drunk and was holding a glass. He was asked to leave the home and did so.
The break-in took place one month after Wojnilowicz broke into a woman’s home where he took out her washing and took it upon himself to carry out household duties such as emptying her recycling bin and put her shopping away. He left her a note saying “Don’t worry, be happy, eat up and scratch”. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
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The defendant’s offending took place at the first victim’s home in Monmouthshire on July 16. She had returned from work to find her washing had been hung up on the line and items had been moved in the garden.
Bird feeders had also been refilled and plant pots had been moved. Inside the house, a pair of shoes had been removed from its packaging, which was placed in the recycling bin. Meanwhile prosecutor Alice Sykes said a meal had been prepared on the hobs using food from her cupboard.
On further inspection, the victim reported toothbrush heads had been replaced on toothbrushes, an empty bottle of wine had been placed in a rack having been drunk, and the floor had been cleaned with a mop and bucket left out. Kitchen utensils had been binned, and new ones the victim had bought had been laid out.
When the victim made the discovery, she asked her neighbour who said someone had been seen hanging out the washing. Finally, the woman spotted a bottle of red wine had been left out next to a glass and bottle opener, along with a bowl of sweets on the living room table.
Wojnilowicz was arrested after the second break in and later pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary. DNA was found on fingerprints from the first property he burgled.
In a victim personal statement, the Monmouthshire victim said weeks after her home was broken into she was left in a “state of heightened anxiety I had never experienced before”. She said she is now looking to move home and was “hyperconscious” about security. She said: “I wondered if it was somebody who knew me, if it was going to turn into a stalking incident, if he knew I lived alone and if I had been targeted.
“I was too scared to stay in my own home and stayed with a friend. When I returned home I was accompanied by my daughter as I was too scared to go alone. My two daughters came the next day to check on me and provide reassurance.” The second victim said he felt “sick, horrified, and useless” when he became aware of the burglary.
The court heard Wojnilowicz, of no fixed abode, has four previous convictions for offences including common assault, public order offences, and failing to surrender. Tabitha Walker, defending, said the defendant was homeless at the time of the offences and was undergoing a number of challenges. She said the defendant wanted to apologise to the victims, and for the harm he had caused to them.
Sentencing, Recorder Christian Jowett said: “This was a significant intrusion in their homes.” He sentenced Wojnilowicz to a total of 22 months imprisonment.
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