Leeds mum used her young children to rob pensioner of 96

Margaret Cawley, 32, searched through drawers and took cash from the elderly woman’s home in Leeds after knocking on her door and saying one of her sons needed to use the toilet.

Leeds Crown Court heard drug addict Cawley was with her two children, aged four and five, when she targeted the victim in Claremont Place in Armley on September 18 last year.

Michael Jowett, prosecuting, told the court that Cawley told the pensioner one of her children needed to use the toilet and she allowed the family in.

The elderly woman then showed the youngster upstairs.

Cawley stayed downstairs and searched the property before taking cash. She was arrested after the burglary and was picked out at an identity procedure.

Cawley, of Shafton Place, Holbeck, Leeds, was interviewed by police and initially denied the offence.

She claimed she was in Dewsbury at the time looking at a council house.

She then blamed the offence on a member of her family.

The court heard Cawley has a long history for burglary and other dishonesty offences.

Two days before targeting the elderly woman, she had been given bail by magistrates in Selby.

In mitigation, Richard Reed, defending, said Cawley’s offending was linked to drug abuse.

Mr Reed added that she had been responding well to treatment while in custody and was sorry for what she had done.

The lawyer said Cawley accepted she must face a prison sentence for what she had done and wanted to remain in custody so she can continue to receive help.

He added: “She would be the first to acknowledge that she did not deal with this case as well as she should have done.”

Jailing Cawley, judge Sally Cahill, QC, said: “The two main aggravating features of this case are the age of the victim and the fact that you used your children in order to carry out the offence.”