Woman spared prison after stealing vulnerable man's phone and accusing him of abusing children
A woman who bullied a “vulnerable” man with cerebral palsy after forcing her way into his home has been spared an immediate prison sentence.
A court in Preston heard that prolific shoplifter Bryony Willan barged her way into the man’s property with two others and tormented him before leaving with his mobile phone.
The victim was assaulted by a male member of the trio and left shaken, Judge Richard Gioserano was told.
Willan’s accomplices were dealt with by the city’s Crown Court for their part in the incident at an earlier hearing.
But, after waiting for more than 18 months for her case to be heard, the 30-year-old from Chorley was given a suspended prison sentence despite having what the judge described as a “bad” criminal record for theft.
He told Willan her behaviour had been “pretty mean” and after a criminal record containing 40 previous offences – 21 of them shoplifting – he said: “You are starting to commit quite serious offending.
“Be warned. The only thing that has saved you from prison (this time) is the delay (in bringing the case to court).”
Willan pleaded guilty to burglary at the man’s house in Chorley and also to two counts of theft from shops in the town – a petrol station and a fish and chip shop.
In the petrol station she walked out with goods worth around £50. At the chippy she stole the staff tips jar off the counter. On both occasions she was with others when she committed the offences.
Judge Gioserano was told that the burglary offence happened in February 2024. Along with two others - a man and a woman - she pushed her way into the vulnerable man’s home. Once inside the other female accused him of abusing children.
The accusation, which he denied, was really just a ruse to get their hands on his phone, the prosecution said. He handed it to them, but they refused to give it back when he asked.
He told all three to leave his home, they refused and then the male assaulted him several times before they finally walked out, still keeping his phone and other property.
The first of the two shoplifting offences happened when she walked into a filling station shop in Chorley and left with goods which she handed to her accomplices outside. She then returned to the store intending to steal other items, but was challenged by staff, this time leaving empty-handed.
At a fish and chip shop in the town all three entered and ordered food, but when a member of staff turned away she took a jar containing staff tips totalling around £50 from the counter.
The three then left with their food order and it was around half an hour later that the staff realised the tips jar had gone. Willan phoned the shop later, apologised and promised to return the cash, but she never showed.
Barrister Ellie Watson, representing Willan, asked for an adjournment saying the pre-sentence report compiled by the probation service was out of date, having been produced 10 months ago.
Since then she argued her client had taken steps to get her life back on track – prompted by a spell in Styal Women’s Prison in Cheshire earlier this year which she said had been a “wake-up call” for her.
Judge Gioserano turned down the adjournment saying it would only delay the sentencing even longer.
Willan, she said, had made “significant steps” since being in prison, had got herself a job for the first time since 2019 and was working to overcome her problems with cocaine and cannabis.
Judge Gioserano told her: “You have a bad record for shoplifting. Anyone just looking at your record could be forgiven for thinking you think shops are just there and you can help yourself.
“But this is not just a bit of shoplifting any more. This is something different entirely. This is burglary and this is Crown Court. Things aren’t getting any better for you – if anything they are getting worse.
“It looked pretty mean tricking your way in knowing he is vulnerable and bullying him in his own home.”
But he added: “On the surface it looks like you are starting to sort yourself out a bit. You are 30 now and it is long overdue isn’t it?”
The judge said he was prepared to accept that the time she had spent in Styal had had an effect on her. But he added if she didn’t want to go back there then she should obey the suspended sentence order.
He told her the sentence for burglary would have been two years after trial and he reduced that for her guilty plea to 20 months.
He suspended it for two years and made her the subject of a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement order and a six-month drug rehabilitation order.