Arsonist burgled funeral home to steal dead woman's mink coat 'to look nice for men'

Zoe Dingley broke into Greenhills Funeral Directors, Market Place, Great Bridge on December 14 last year but was spotted on CCTV by staff who had noticed the coat had gone missing.

The coat's deceased owner was believed to have asked to be buried in the glamorous garment.

Dingley, now 28, was spotted at a bus stop wearing the full-length brown mink coat by a Greenhills member of staff who challenged her and reported her to the police. Dingley told detectives the mink coat 'was lovely and warm', a court heard.

Prosecutor Gary Cooke told Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday: "She had left her own coat on the funeral directors floor which alerted proprietor Mr Marks a crime had occurred. He checked the CCTV. The defendant was clearly seen walking up the driveway into the funeral directors, she discarded her own coat and walked away in the mink coat.

"When she was interviewed by detectives the next day and told them she wanted the coat because 'it was lovely and warm' and 'to look nice for the men'."