A naked burglar who was found asleep in a woman’s bed after having a shower in her house has been jailed for 14 months

Sentencing 25-year-old Mitchel O’Loughlin, Judge Emma Peters described what he did as “disturbing and troubling”.

“That is the way any woman would feel in these circumstances,” said the judge.

She told O’Loughlin she was relieved the victim wasn’t on her own when she returned to her home on the day of the burglary and that she hadn’t gone upstairs and “encountered the horror” of finding him in her bed.

O’Loughlin, of Desborough Path, Chelmsford, admitted burglary at the woman’s house in Meeanee Mews, Colchester.

He is also currently awaiting sentence by Basildon Magistrates for an offence of stalking a former work colleague.

In addition to jailing O’Loughlin, Judge Peters banned him from contacting the victim or going to any address where she lives indefinitely.

The court heard the victim was so upset by the burglary, she had decided to sell her house.

In a statement read to the court, she said the burglary had “turned her life upside down” and she no longer felt safe in the house.

“I can’t believe how much of an impact this crime has had on me."

Juliet Donovan, prosecuting, said the woman had returned home at 5.40pm on October 4 with a friend and found her patio doors open. She noticed a wallet and keys that she didn’t recognise on a worktop in her kitchen and called the police.

When officers arrived they pulled back the covers on the woman’s bed and found O’Loughlin asleep.

He was naked and his clothes were in a black bin liner next to the bed.

The court heard that while at the premises O’Loughlin had a shower and had damaged a side panel on her bath when he was getting out.

Barry Gilbert, for O’Loughlin, described what his client did as “a strange set of events” and said he was surprised that a psychiatrist hadn’t come to the conclusion he was mentally ill.

He said O’Loughlin had told police he thought he was in his own house and that would explain why he had a shower and got into bed.

“It is so ridiculous that it must have been what he thought,” said Mr Gilbert.

Mr Gilbert said nothing had been stolen from the premises.