A CALDICOT woman found hiding in a cupboard wearing no shoes was jailed for burglary.

Karen Bussey, 31, of Oakley Close, was discovered on November 11 at the Dewstow Road, Caldicot, property by the householder’s teenage daughter, who came home from babysitting at around 12.30am, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Bussey pleaded guilty to burglary.

Prosecutor Hilary Roberts said on discovering Bussey, who was holding an empty carrier bag, the teenager screamed out and held the door of the cupboard shut before police were called.

Mr Roberts said Bussey told the girl she thought it was the house of someone else who offered to do her washing.

Defence counsel Simon Goodman asked Recorder Timothy Petts to take into account she admitted the offence at a hearing on January 13.

He asked her to be given maximum credit for the guilty plea despite Bussey failing to attend two previous hearings as she refused to get on the prison van.

Mr Goodman said Bussey had a lack of trust in the system as she was a victim of a serious assault but no-one was convicted for it.

The court heard Bussey committed the burglary knowing she would return to custody, telling a probation officer she wanted to feel safe.

As this was her third domestic burglary, Bussey was told the minimum sentence given is normally one of three years.

Recorder Petts said the defendant showed no remorse and described her excuse it was a friend’s house as “obviously nonsense”.

Passing a sentence of 29 months imprisonment, the recorder said the disturbance caused by burglary is “unquantifiable”.

“The privacy of someone’s home is violated,” he added.