A 'disgusting' woman burgled her neighbour's home 24 hours after passing by his funeral.

Leanne Hunter, 27, stole sentimental items left behind by the 65-year-old man who lived next door to her, as well as £200 in cash she found in a wallet.

The day before, Hunter, who was also found to be high on amphetamine at the time, had witnessed David Butler's family lining the street wearing Hull KR rugby kit.

The burglary branded 'absolutely despicable' during the court case – included the theft of Mr Butler's death certificate, their marriage certificate, and several CDs, HullLive reports.

At a hearing at Hull Crown Court, Hunter admitted burglary, and was handed a jail sentence of two years and four months. The judge told her: "All offences of dwelling house burglary are serious but this is a particularly mean offence."

Hannah Turner, prosecuting, said that Mr Butler had died two weeks earlier and the family was, at the time, in the process of sorting through his property. There were still a number of items in his home at the time.

Hunter walked in through the back door, which was not secure, and stole £200 cash from a wallet, CDs, Mr Butler's wife's death certificate and the marriage certificate for him and his late wife.

Hunter originally claimed that she saw the funeral procession and "did not put two and two together" about the empty house but it was clear that, in fact, she targeted the premises knowing that Mr Butler had died.

"It's certain that she would have known that the deceased had passed away and the property was empty," said Miss Turner. "Beds in two bedrooms were flipped over as though she was looking for stuff."

A neighbour looked at CCTV and spotted Hunter entering the house empty-handed but leaving with a holdall of Mr Butler's belongings.

His daughter, Melanie Butler, confronted Hunter and asked for his belongings to be returned.

"She refused and shut the door in her face," said Miss Turner. Hunter later admitted, however, that she took the items out of "curiosity".

Hunter had convictions for eight previous offences between 2007 and 2014, including being sent to a young offenders' institution for 18 months in September 2014 for two offences of burglary.

She claimed not to remember a great deal about the incident because she was on amphetamines at the time. There had been an eight-year gap in her offending.

"She wants to get on with her sentence and be released at the end of it," said Mr Peacock. "She wishes simply to get her head down and serve her sentence."

Judge John Thackray QC told Hunter: "You asserted that, although you saw the funeral procession, you didn't realise that the occupier of the house that you burgled was recently deceased.

"I do not accept that. It's the inevitable inference that you knew very well that the occupier had recently died and you targeted it for that very reason."

After the hearing, Melanie, 41, told Hull Live: "What was most heartbreaking was that she took my Mam's death certificate and my Mam and Dad's marriage certificate.

"There was no reason for her to have taken them. She didn't know my Dad. It was heartbreaking for us."

Melanie said Hunter also took a ring of sentimental value belonging to her father, food out of the kitchen, a used tube of toothpaste, deodorants, razors and clothes.

"She took a photo of my Dad out of his house and put it up in her house in the kitchen," said Melanie. "It was disgusting. We were still in the process of clearing the house out. We are still in the grieving process."

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