Poole man sentenced for stealing dead girl's laptop
A burglar who stole a teenager's laptop four days after she died from cancer has been sentenced in court.
Caleb Warren took Daisy Elbrow's MacBook from a house in Bournemouth while her mother was paying respects to the 15-year-old at a hospice.
Warren, 32, of Solly Close, Poole, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court and admitted burgling the house last November.
He was handed a two-year community order and must pay £440 compensation.
A white xBox One, an iPad, Pandora earrings and a quantity of cash were also stolen in the raid in Leybourne Avenue on 23 November.
The following day, police issued a public appeal from Daisy's mother, Natalie, who said she was "desperate" for the laptop's return.
"It meant so much to Daisy... It gave her a portal to the outside world. It had all her things on it and all her photos," she said.
Three days later, on 27 November, a man and woman attempted to sell the laptop and the tablet at a takeaway in Bournemouth.
Staff alerted police who identified the pair as Warren, who must also undertake a 30-day rehabilitation activity, and Natasha Stark, 36, of Monks Way, Bournemouth.
Stark was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court in March after admitting handling stolen goods and two counts of shoplifting.
She was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity days.
Det Con Ben Swain said: "This particular crime happened at an extremely traumatic time for the victim who was grieving the loss of her teenage daughter.
"The laptop that was stolen was of huge sentimental value and meant so much to Daisy and her family."