Colchester: Woman sells home after burglar slept in her bed

Mitchel O’Loughlin, 25, “made himself at home” after entering his victim’s house in Colchester while she was at work.

Ipswich Crown Court heard a neighbour spotted the burglar lurking outside the address on the afternoon of October 4 last year.

She grew so suspicious of his behaviour she took a picture of him.

When the victim returned home from work with a friend at around 5.45pm, she found her back door open and O’Loughlin’s keys and wallet in the kitchen.

Police found a naked O’Loughlin asleep under the victim’s duvet in an upstairs bedroom.

Mitchel O'Loughlin

The court heard the burglar had used the woman’s bathroom, taking a shower and using her soap, even breaking a panel on her bath in the process.

He also rummaged through her drawers before undressing and climbing into her bed.

He later told the police he had mistakenly believed it was his house.

The court heard O’Loughlin committed the offence while on bail, after he was arrested over an allegation he stalked a former work colleague just days prior to the burglary.

The offender admitted one charge of burglary.

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In a victim impact statement, the woman said her fear had left her “constantly checking the doors are locked”.

“I’ve been leaving work earlier to ensure I don’t arrive home in the dark,” she said.

“My hands start shaking just unlocking the door for fear of someone being in my home.”

She added: “The fact he knows my address horrifies me and the thought he could come back once he is released fills me with enormous fear.”

The victim said she felt her “only option” was to sell her house, telling the court she plans to leave Colchester to “start afresh”.

“This man and his actions turned my world upside down and I cannot believe just how much of an impact this crime has had on me,” she said.

Barry Gilbert, mitigating, said his client wished to apologise to the victim, adding he is “clearly troubled”.

“The whole summary of this offence is this man has entered [the victim’s] house and has used it like it was his,” he said.

“That would be disturbing for me, clearly it is disturbing for her, clearly he is sorry for it and he wants to say he is sorry.”

Judge Emma Peters sentenced O’Loughlin, of Desborough Path, Chelmsford, to 14 months imprisonment.

She imposed a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim or attending her address.

She said: “The facts of this case I previously described as strange, I am going to describe them now as deeply disturbing and troubling.”

She voiced her relief that the victim had not been alone when she returned home from work, adding: “I am relieved she didn’t go upstairs and have the horror of finding you in her bed.”

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