Sibling burglars took man's mum's funeral savings
Cleveland PoliceA "despicable" burglar who stole £1,750 a man had saved to pay for his mother's funeral has been jailed for almost two years.
Michael Robson, 50, and his sister Nicola Robson also took a games console and computer as well as the cash from a house in Middlesbrough, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The victim, who had been at work when the siblings broke into his house, said he could now no longer afford to fulfil his late mother's wishes to take her ashes to Poland.
Robson, a father of six with 25 offences on his criminal record dating back to 1992, admitted burglary. Nicola Robson did not turn up to court for sentencing with a warrant issued for her arrest.
The victim returned to his home to find his door open on 8 February 2025, prosecutor Tabitha Buck said.
The burglars had taken a laptop, games console with controllers and headsets and £1,750 in cash, the court heard.
The Robsons were identified from CCTV, Ms Buck said.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said the cash had been saved to fulfil his mother's wishes to return her ashes to her native Poland.
"I do not know how I can replace the money in order to carry out my mum's wish," he said.
Judge Jonathan Carroll said the victim had been "doing his level best to honour his mother's final wishes" but the Robson siblings stole his money.
"That is a truly despicable act," the judge said.
Michael Robson was jailed for 22 months and two weeks for the burglary and a further 18 days for a bail act offence.