A HOME carer broke down in the dock as she was jailed alongside her boyfriend for burgling elderly and vulnerable victims.
Michelle Williams, aged 30, went into the homes of people she was paid to look after, often during the early hours, to steal from them.
The victims were aged between 59 and 96-years-old.
Swansea Crown Court heard Williams, of Woodfield Street, Swansea, was employed by Home Comforts, and had access codes to each of the properties she targeted. She was employed to make home visits to the clients, all described as "elderly and infirm individuals".
On one occasion she crawled on the floor of the house to make her way undisturbed into the 86-year-old victim's home to steal £50 from her purse.
After the first burglary, where she took £240 from a 96-year-old victim, Williams roped her boyfriend Terence Fox, aged 22, in to help her. He then drove her to each of the victim's homes, either standing watch or holding a torch so they could commit seven further burglaries.
The offences all took place between November 11 and 25 last year at addresses in Gorseinon, West Cross, Black Pill, Pontarddulais, Three Crosses, Penllegaer and Dunvant.
The pair were stopped in their tracks during their last attempted burglary after the home-owner, aged 59, was woken by Williams at around 1.45am. She shouted at the intruder, later found to be Williams, who ran off.
In total, Williams took £1,340. Fox, of the same address, made £570 from the offences, prosecutor Ian Ibrahim said.
John Allchurch, for Williams, said his client had committed the offences because she had been put under pressure by a former boyfriend to repay money.
Robin Rouch, for Fox, said it was his client's first offences and said he had shown genuine remorse.
Williams, who admitted eight burglaries and one attempted burglary, was jailed for two years. Fox, who pleaded guilty to seven burglaries and one attempted burglary, was jailed for 20 months.
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