Serial Northampton thief gets five years for stealing from two elderly women who he left with 'nightmares'

A serial thief from Northampton has been handed 62 months in prison after stealing yet again from two elderly women, forcing one to use a food bank at Christmas and leaving the other with "nightmares".

David James Law, aged 48, of St Andrews Street, Northampton, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court today (March 24) in what was only his latest series of offences.

With his earliest crime taking a car without consent in 1991, three counts of actual bodily harm in 1996 and a series of burglaries, it was argued that Law's addiction to Class A drugs caused him to offend to fund his habit.

Helen Rodger, prosecuting, described how Law stole from the women mere days apart, just before Christmas 2020.

The first case heard was that of an elderly woman of unknown age for whom Law was described by Her Honour Judge Lucking as "almost an unpaid carer". But on the morning of 17 December, Law came for a different reason.

Mrs Rodger said: "When the woman opened her door Mr Law rushed inside, asking if she needed any shopping doing. She said she did, but that she needed to get ready before they went.

"Mr Law was not interested in that and offered to take her bank cards to do it for her. The victim was not interested in this and he grabbed her handbag from her kitchen, which had £80 in cash as well as both her and her partner's bank cards.

"Mr Law withdrew £100 from her card and £240 from her partner's card (this partner was in hospital at the time and now lives in care), leaving her with very little money to live with over the Christmas period."

In fact, the elderly woman was forced to use a food bank just so she could eat in that time, and was "humiliated" in the words of the Judge to have to ask strangers to help her walk there, as she was so frail.

Law's next offence occurred just 11 days later, when the court heard he violently snatched a handbag from a similarly frail woman on the street, who was described by a witness as being in her mid-70's.

The victim attempted to resist him but was overpowered. Another woman who witnessed the attack reportedly tried to tackle Law but was pushed back by the offender.

The victim later visited Northampton General Hospital (NGH) and was left needing to wear a sling and use strong pain killers.

In a statement seven months afterwards, the previously independent woman described still having nightmares and flashbacks of the attack that left her "unable to even take the bus" out of fear.

Sumita Mahtad-Shiaikh, in mitigation, said that Law was "truly remorseful" after hearing the victim impact statements read in court and that he fully understood the weight of his crimes.

She said: "The offences were committed whilst Mr Law was under the influence of addiction to Class A drugs. He committed these offences to fund his drug addiction.

"Since the commission of these crimes, Mr Law has not used any Class A drugs or alcohol, that's how much his own actions shocked him.

"When he was read the victim impact statements, he was seriously shocked by them and he understands the impact that he has had.

"He has not needed any help to clean himself of drugs and that shows a level of willpower which I can stand by as well."

However, Judge Lucking considered the harm done by Law to be "serious psychological harm", made worse by the fact Law was already subject to a suspended prison sentence for a 2019 burglary.

David James Law was given 62 months in prison and a victim surcharge was applied.

Her Honour also awarded a High Sheriff award of £300 to the woman who tackled law, as well as three £200 awards for members of the public who helped identify him as the purpetrator.