A burglar broke into a woman’s home and hung out her washing, put her shopping away and emptied the recycling bin – before leaving a creepy note.
Damian Wojnilowicz, 36, has been jailed for 22 months for carrying out the unusual burglary in Monmouthshire, Wales, on 16 July.
The victim said she was too scared to stay in her own home after she returned from work to find an intruder had moved her belongings.
Wojnilowicz also left a note saying: ‘Don’t worry, be happy, eat up and scratch.’
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday heard the bird feeders in the garden had also been refilled and plant pots had been moved.
Inside the house, a pair of shoes had been taken out of its packaging, which was then placed in the recycling bin.
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Prosecutor Alice Sykes said a meal had been cooked on the stove using items from her cupboard.
Shopping had been taken from a bag and placed in the fridge, which was then rearranged, and the recycling bin had been emptied.
Kitchen utensils were placed in the bin, and new ones from the shopping bag had been laid out.
Toothbrush heads had also been replaced on toothbrushes and the floor had been cleaned with a mop and bucket left out.
The victim saw a bottle of red wine had been left out next to a glass and bottle opener, and there was a bowl of sweets on the living room table.
She then spoke to her neighbour who described seeing someone hanging out her washing.
A second burglary took place at a different property on July 29 when the homeowner received a CCTV alert on his phone which showed Wojnilowicz walking on his driveway.
The defendant went on to use the shower in a summerhouse to wash and clean his clothes.
Food and drink had also been consumed and the hot tub had also been left dirty.
The victim asked his son-in-law to attend the property and the defendant appeared to be drunk and was holding a glass.
He was asked to leave and did so, but the burglar was later arrested. His DNA was found on fingerprints from the first property he burgled.
In a victim personal statement, the first victim said: ‘Two weeks after the crime until he was caught, I was living in a state of heightened anxiety I had never experienced before.
‘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 court heard the first victim was planning to move address and was ‘hyperconscious’ about security. The second victim said he felt ‘sick, horrified, and useless’ when he became aware of the burglary.
Wojnilowicz, of no fixed abode, later pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary. The court heard he has four previous convictions for offences including common assault, public order offences, and failing to surrender.
In mitigation, Tabitha Walker said her client was homeless at the time of the offences and was undergoing a number of difficulties.
She said the defendant was apologetic 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 at Cardiff Crown Court.