A burglar from Lowestoft who lied her way into vulnerable people’s homes and walked out with hundreds of pounds has been jailed for four years. 

Aimee Haywood-Rutter, 28, of London Road, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court after admitting four counts of burglary and fraud by false representation, along with breaching a suspended sentence.

Her first victim was a 74-year-old woman who lives in Lowestoft alone and requires a mobility scooter and is almost entirely blind in one eye.

She was awoken at between 4am and 5am after Haywood-Rutter knocked on the door saying she had crashed on ice and was tired and had no phone.

Feeling sorry for Haywood-Rutter, the woman let her in and sat down in the lounge and eventually the defendant said she had to leave but after she had left the victim realised her handbag was gone.

The 28-year-old was jailed at Ipswich Crown CourtThe 28-year-old was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court (Image: Suffolk police)

The handbag contained £400 in cash along with a bank card, which Haywood-Rutter used for purchases in a Shell garage.

Her attempts at using the card allowed police to identify her and she admitted the offence but was bailed.

While on bail on the evening of July 30 of this year she knocked on the door of a flat in Lowestoft, saying she was looking for a friend in the upstairs area.

The victim invited her into the communal kitchen area of the flat and the defendant began making herself a drink, then eventually made her excuses and left, taking £85 in cash that was on the table.

Haywood-Rutter had the “audacity” to return a few days later to the same address and again said she was looking for a friend upstairs and this time walked out with a wallet containing £35 cash, the prosecution said.

She tried yet again but the third time, the door was not opened for her.

A 77-year-old man from Lowestoft was Haywood-Rutter's final victim, as she walked into his house by asking to use his toilet and then asking for a glass of water.

When she left, he found his wallet was missing.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendant was motivated by her addiction to class A drugs and was in a “toxic” relationship at the time.

Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley took this into account but sentenced the defendant to four years in prison for the offences.