Burglar forfeits £20,000 inheritance

A burglar who inherited £20,000 from his father has been ordered to give it all to his victim as compensation.

Daniel Dady, 20, claimed during his trial for burglary that he was innocent as he did not need to resort to crime because of his inheritance in 2002.

But the jury at King's Lynn Crown Court, Norfolk, found him guilty of a house burglary last May in which £100,000 worth of jewellery was taken.

After making the compensation order, Judge Peter Jacobs also jailed jobless Dady for four years and seven months. The judge later said: "In this particular case there was an opportunity to compensate the victim while further punishing the defendant. If I can get a criminal's assets, I will give those assets away. The loss of property devastates victims."

None of the jewellery was ever recovered by police and officers believe it was sold for a fraction of its true value.

The victim had owned the jewellery after collecting it for 25 years. She told police that the haul represented her life savings as well as being of great sentimental value. It had not been insured.

Dady, from Norwich, was arrested on the day of the theft after he tried to use a bank card stolen from the victim's home.

Detective Constable Donald Dallas, who worked on the case, said he thought the judge's actions were "quite unique".

He said after the hearing: "I have spoken to the victim and she is still devastated that she didn't get her jewellery back - but she is pleased that the court have awarded her this amount of compensation."