Mother is jailed for copper boiler theft

A mother-of-two has been jailed for 18 weeks after ripping a copper boiler and pipes out of the Wolverhampton flat she was facing eviction from.

Nicola Harrison, aged 21, was arrested after being spotted dragging the boiler out of the flat in Wolverhampton and storing it in a wheelie bin. Wolverhampton Homes was called out to the address in Griffiths Drive, Ashmore Park, by the local library, which is directly below the flat and had been flooded after the boiler was removed on September 8.

At Wolverhampton Magistrates Court yesterday, Harrison claimed she returned to her flat after being told it had been broken into and was taking the boiler away to her gas engineer father for "safekeeping" and repair to deter local drug users from stealing it.

But the prosecution said she was aware that copper is at an all-time high for scrap value, and she took it to get revenge on Wolverhampton Homes for evicting her due to her rent arrears.

Harrison was found guilty of theft and criminal damage and sentenced to 18 weeks in prison. She had denied the charges.

The cost of reinstating a new boiler and piping as well as labour costs was said to be £1,115.52, with the boiler alone worth £500.

Wolverhampton Homes estate manager Emma Collard told the court: "We checked the door for evidence of a break-in, there wasn't any, and there were no signs of damage. It shut correctly, it was fine."

She said a maintenance worker ensured the water was turned off and changed the locks because Harrison said she didn't have her keys.

Miss Collard added: "There was damage to the property.

"The boiler was missing, there was just a broken pipe left."

Harrison told the court: "I didn't know I was being evicted until I was in the police station.

"I showed Wolverhampton Homes where my door had been broken into."

Magistrates' chair Angela Spence said: "We've listened to your story but we were not convinced that your version was credible."