TWO women have been jailed for raiding a country house to steal jewellery worth more than £65,000, including a £12,000 Cartier watch.

Paula Miles, 34, and Claire Gimblett, 40, of Peacehaven, Tredegar, were each sentenced to two years three months after admitting burgling Porthkerry House in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the victim, Vanessa Barker, lived at the isolated Porthkerry House and how Miles had worked for her as a cleaner. She finished her employment in 2013 but worked for her occasionally afterwards.

Prosecutor Matthew Cobb said: “She remained on friendly terms with Mrs Barker and purported to be her friend.

“There was a cynical effort by Miles to exploit her so-called friendship and establish when the house would be empty.

“This was an offence of some gravity.”

He said that Miles, who was in a relationship with mother-of-two Gimblett, knew Mrs Barker left home before 7.30am to take her children to school, and she also knew where the jewellery was kept.

On January 20, 2014, they drove to the house and parked near Porthkerry parish church. Miles had a key to the house and used it to gain entry.

He said: “Once inside, they helped themselves to jewellery worth more than £65,000.

“Builders who were working on the drive assumed they were staying in the house legitimately, but when they saw the new cleaner a little later, they raised the alarm and realised there had been a burglary.”

The court heard how that in their haste to get away, they dropped their car keys in the garden.

Shortly after, they began to make efforts to sell the jewellery and contacted a jeweller in Bath in an effort to sell the £12,000 Cartier watch.

Mr Cobb said the offence had severely affected Mrs Barker and giving evidence at the earlier trial had been enormously distressing. Mrs Barker had explained that she did not have contents insurance, and therefore lost more than £65,000.

Geoffrey Jones, for Miles, said: “She has lost everything including her good name.”

Stuart McLeese, for Gimblett, said: “The offence was totally out of character and she has constantly expressed remorse.

“She will never trouble the courts again for what was a moment of madness.”

Judge Philip Richards said:”It was a very mean, very serious offence, committed against a woman who lived with her much-loved two children.

“You invaded their home and stole valuable property.”

Judge Philip Richards added that the pair had “targeted an innocent victim” when she was taking her children to school.

The judge told Miles she had been the architect of a heinous crime and had displayed a woeful breach of trust.