A 43-year-old woman who has been tricking her way into people’s homes for more than two decades has been jailed for nearly four years at Swansea Crown Court. 👮♀️⚖️
Melanie Morgan, of no fixed abode, used various deceptive tactics to gain access to properties, including claiming she was lost, pretending her car had broken down, or saying her child needed to use the toilet.
Her latest victim was a trusting 79-year-old resident of Philadelphia Court flats in Morriston. The pensioner kindly buzzed Morgan in after she claimed to be looking for someone named “Ray.” Once inside, Morgan asked for a painkiller and requested the elderly woman call her a taxi – but quickly left while the pensioner was making the call.
The victim later discovered her purse was missing, with bank records showing multiple unauthorised transactions, including at a convenience store on Penderry Road in Penlan.
CCTV footage showed Morgan taking a Yellow Cabs taxi from the area to Penlan. She was later arrested walking along High Street in Swansea city centre.
When officers detained her on suspicion of burglary, Morgan responded: “I don’t do that anymore. I don’t burgle women, only nonce men.”
The court heard that Morgan has 16 previous convictions for 38 offences dating back to 2003, with multiple burglaries involving similar deceptive tactics.
Judge Huw Rees told Morgan: “You have a devious streak in you. You only think of yourself.”
With a one-third discount for her guilty pleas, Morgan was sentenced to 45 months in prison. She will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence.
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