A burglar in the midst of stealing jewellery from a house in Emsworth was confronted by the incensed female victim, before asking her: “What are you doing here?”

Lee White, 43, broke into the house in Westbourne Close on the afternoon of 10 January this year. The homeowner arrived home at 2pm to find White in her garden holding one of her socks to store the jewellery.

White was challenged by the brave woman before a bizarre exchange took place. The victim shouted at White: “What are you doing here?” White then replied: “What are you doing here?” He then fled the area on an e-scooter.

The victim called police before entering her house to find that jewellery had been stolen. Later that afternoon, White sold three items of stolen jewellery to a gold shop in Portsmouth – most items were subsequently recovered by police as part of the investigation and returned to the victim.

White, of Sandringham Road in Portsmouth, was arrested on 11 January where he was found to be carrying crack cocaine. He was subsequently charged with burglary and possession of Class A drugs, and pleaded guilty to both of these offences when he appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 13 January.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court he was jailed for three years. The court heard the victim was “freaked out” by what happened. The value of the stolen items was not disclosed but the woman said they were of strong sentimental value and had been “part of my life for a very long time”.

DC Paul Osborne, from the Eastern Area Crime Team, said: “This was a brazen incident which saw White break into a locked home in daylight hours and make no apology whatsoever when confronted by the homeowner.

“Burglary is an invasive crime that leaves people feeling extremely vulnerable in their own home – a space where they should feel safe and secure. We take residential burglaries extremely seriously - police teams work hard to identify hotspot locations and patterns of offending to target habitual offenders and bring them to justice.

“I hope residents in Emsworth can be reassured now that White has been caught and put behind bars.” For advice and information on ways in which you can keep your home secure, visit the police Crime Prevention page: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/

The News 5th February 2024