A 12-YEAR-OLD girl who pleaded guilty to burgling the house of Nelson woman Sheila Bridge shortly before her death has been ordered to spend a year in supervised care.

The girl, who was in secure accommodation leading up to the case, before a youth panel at Reedley Court, also pleaded guilty to attempted burglary at a second house in Lansbury Place owned by a 78-year-old neighbour and friend of Mrs Bridge.

Both offences were committed late at night on June 26 this year.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, told the panel how the police had received several phone calls about a group of youths causing a nuisance in the area, which consists of mainly bungalows for elderly people.

Mrs Bridge, who was living with her seriously ill husband, had also dialled 999 to tell the police the group had taken a vase from her bedroom windowsill. A short time later she suffered a fatal heart attack and died on arrival at hospital.

During investigations in to her death it was discovered that the second resident had also been targeted after she had gone to bed.

The 78-year-old had left her bathroom window slightly ajar and the next day found it wide open.

Forensic evidence linked the 12-year-old to both incidents, the panel was told.

The chairman of the bench told the girl she had been lucky to avoid a custodial sentence and said: "Other people are living in fear of people like you.

"You are a persistent offender at the age of 12. We have given you a supervision order so the work that has already been done can be built on and hopefully you will come out of it a better person."

Miss Statham said: "It's had quite worrying consequences for Mrs Bridge's family and Mr Bridge has never returned to the house and is in a care home because of his illness."

She said the elderly lady who was the victim of the attempted burglary now feels 'like a prisoner in her own home' and has to keep her windows and doors permanently shut even in the summer.

Geoff Ireland, defending, told the court how the 12-year-old had absconded while on bail and had been placed in secure accommodation.

He said she was very remorseful and regretful as far as the burglaries were concerned and the others in the group with her were more criminally sophisticated then her.

It was an element of bravado that took over and she climbed on the windowsill of Mrs Bridge's bedroom and with help from another girl took the vase of flowers.

He said: "As far as she is concerned it has taught her a hard lesson because she has spent time in custody."