BARONESS Karren Brady has told how she has been left terrified in her own home after a burglar struck four times in 16 hours.
The Apprentice star said today that the series of “targeted” break-ins at her £6 million home in Belgravia, central London, had caused a “profound impact” on her and her family.
Baroness Karren Brady stars on BBC One’s The Apprentice[/caption]
Baroness Brady has told how she has been left terrified by the break-ins[/caption]
Baroness Brady, 55, said she had trouble sleeping and no longer liked being left alone at home.
She said former footballer husband Paul Peschisolido, their two children and herself are now feeling paranoid about any sudden noises or movements near their home following the one-day crimewave on her doorstep by drug user Gregory Adnane.
The 41-year-old former chef repeatedly broke into a basement storage area at the five-bedroomed terraced house on May 16 last year.
He stole cycling tops, a £1,700 Prada bag and Amazon parcels worth a total of £2,572 after striking four times while Baroness Brady was away working.
Baroness Brady urged the court to consider the “full extent of harm” and “psychological toll” Adane’s crimes have had on her.
But Adnane today walked free from London’s Southwark crown court and was given an 18-month suspended sentence after admitting two counts of burglary and two of theft.
It emerged that he has also been given a community order for another burglary carried out shortly after the spate of break-ins at Baroness Brady’s home.
Adnane targeted Baroness Brady’s house after spotting unattended Amazon parcels on her doorstep as he cycled past – and then repeatedly returned to the exclusive address to rifle through belongings in a store room.
In a victim impact statement read to the court by the prosecutor, Baroness Brady said she felt “targeted, watched and exploited” by Adnane.
The businesswoman and advisor to Lord Sugar on BBC1’s The Apprentice programme, wrote: “I’m writing this statement to express the profound impact that the burglary has had on me and my family.”
Gregory Adnane walked free from Southwark Crown Court[/caption]
Baroness Brady went on: “While some may view burglary as a crime against property, for me it has been a deeply disturbing violation of my personal space, security, and peace of mind.
“Since the burglary I have felt unsafe in my own home.
“Knowing that a stranger invaded my personal space, went through my belongings and had total disregard for my privacy has left me feeling vulnerable and unsettled.
“Before this crime I felt safe in my home. That feeling has now been shattered.
“The fact that someone trespassed onto my property, not once but four times, has made me feel as though I was being targeted, watched, and exploited.
“The fact that the burglar came back multiple times shows a blatant disregard for the law and a complete lack of respect for my property and personal security.”
Baroness Brady added: “His repeated targeting of my property has changed the way I live my life. What used to feel like a safe and secure space now feels vulnerable.
“I am not comfortable being at home when I am on my own as I wake up at the slightest noise.
“I have stepped up my security, I put the alarm on during the day, double-lock the doors and had security lights fitted at considerable cost to me.”
She said the break-ins had affected her normal routine, adding: “I no longer feel comfortable leaving my home for extended periods.”
West Ham United FC vice-chair Baroness Brady added that she and her family “have become hyper-aware of our surroundings and safety when leaving or arriving home and often feel paranoid about noises or unfamiliar movements near our house.”
Prosecutor Carol Summers said Baroness Brady left her home for work for a few days on 14 May and was due to return four days later.
Ms Summers went on: “She has a system whereby if someone rings the doorbell she can see it on her mobile phone and can send a message to deliver any parcel.
“That delivery person was given instructions to leave it at the bottom of the basement stairs
“The following day, 15 May more parcels were delivered. This time they were left on the front doorstep.
“You can see on CCTV that you have to go up some steps to get to the front door.”
The prosecutor continued: “On 16 May the defendant can be seen going past on his bicycle and he takes the parcels, more than one on the doorstep at that point.
“That particular theft may have been opportunistic but thereafter he comes back to target the same address again.”
Adnane grabbed £182 worth of Amazon parcels from outside the front door on that occasion.
When he returned for the third time he noticed the boxes that had been left by the basement, the court heard.
Ms Summers continued: “He ends up down by the bottom of the flight of stairs and is seen rummaging around in the cupboard underneath the street.
“He uses his phone torch to hunt around in the store
“He then steals a Prada holdall worth £1,700 along with cycling tops.”
Ms Summers said the thief returned to Baroness Brady’s home for a fourth time later the same day.
She went on: “This time he took a bag with him and loaded it up with clothing from the storage area again.
“When he comes back to commit the second of the two burglaries he has his torch and he has his bag with him, a Waitrose bag in order to load up with further items.
“He is seen on CCTV to be actually wearing one of the cycling tops that he stole the previous day.
“He committed all four of these offences within a 16 hour period.”
When Baroness Brady returned from her work trip, she reviewed the CCTV and called police.
The court heard how Adnane broke into another property days later and has already received a community order for that offence.
He lost his job as a chef during the pandemic and has convictions for possession of cocaine and GHB, along with harassment in 2021, the court heard.
Defence barrister Katie Bacon described Adnane as a dedicated family man and said he wants to turn his life around.
She said: “He is not the same person as he was in May of last year.”
Judge David Tomlinson decided to give Adnane a “last chance” and warned any breaches of his order will ‘undoubtedly’ mean jail.
The judge said: “This was one targeted location and what you have said to the author of the pre-sentence report is that your own analysis of this offence does not really reflect the true nature of what you did.
“Unquestionably these offences cross the custody threshold.
“What is plain is that you repeatedly targeted the same premises and it isn’t long between what may start as a spontaneous offence, becomes a string of targeted offences.”
The judge said he would have jailed Adnane for at least two years imprisonment if the case had gone to trial.
But he sentenced Adnane, of Victoria, to 18 months jail suspended for 21 months along with 25 days rehabilitation activity and 100 hours unpaid work.
Karren is the vice-chair of West Ham FC[/caption]
