A prolific burglar who carried out a “spectacular” crime spree including stealing a taxi and writing it off is back on the streets after a judge allowed her to choose her own sentence.
Chantelle Simmons was lucky to escape a minimum three year jail term for a ‘three strikes’ house burglary and 15 other offences – committed while serving a suspended sentence for an earlier break-in.
Her own counsel admitted Simmons had "went off the rails big time".
She asked for “a chance” with another suspended sentence, instead of serving time in jail, reports the Leicester Mercury .
The judge granted her the chance and Simmons walked out of court.
One of her crimes involved her threatening to falsely accuse a shopkeeper of raping her, when he asked for the return of a dress, £200 in cash and bank cards she had just stolen from his store, Leicester Crown Court was told.
Simmons, who has 30 previous offences on her criminal record, was described by her barrister Philip Gibbs as “vulnerable.”
The 25-year-old was given a 20 month jail sentence, suspended for two years.
Simmons admitted six thefts, taking a vehicle (a taxi) without consent, burglary and fraudulently using a stolen bank card, between June and October.
She asked for seven other theft offences to be considered.
Philip Gibbs, mitigating, said Judge Robert Brown imposed a 10 month jail sentence, suspended for a year, last April.
He said: “It was meant to be a deterrent but the reality is, for many reasons, she went off the rails big time.
“Class A drugs was the principal factor along with the influence of various males.”
He said since being remanded into custody she had made “quite remarkable” progress and was drug-free.
The barrister added that she had ADHD, frontal lobe brain damage which left her “functionally disabled.”
She suffered a traumatic childhood.
Mr Gibbs said: “She’s a very vulnerable and fragile person with learning difficulties.
“She underwent gender reassignment and one wonders why, in her mental state, she was allowed to go through such a dramatic change in 2015; the consequences have been catastrophic with a tremendous amount of damage.
“She’s had numerous suicide attempts.
“She was under the influence of others and was addicted to class A drugs.
“She was on the streets of Leicester out of control, as she acknowledges.
“She’s been a victim of bullying in custody because she doesn’t fit in and it’s been very difficult.
“She’s since made a transformation by engaging with others who are prepared to help her.
“She is not being properly medicated and she has the potential to turn everything around. She’s keep to improve her situation.
“It’s a truly exceptional case in many regards.”
Mr Gibbs said that a third offence of house burglary put her at risk of a mandatory three year jail term, unless the judge found it was unjust to do so.
Judge Timothy Spencer said he had “sympathy” for her because of her tragic past, but if she let him down she would be locked up.
Saying he was reserving breaches of the sentence to himself, he warned: “If you and I meet again, it won’t be a good day for you.”
The defendant appeared in court via a live video link from Peterborough Prison.
She tearfully told the judge: “I’m really sorry.
“At the time I was on drugs and I’d just had gender reassignment surgery, which I was just coming to terms with.”
Judge Spencer said: “I’m giving you a choice and the choice is you having a suspended sentence today or do I just give you your prison sentence?
“Last time you got a suspended sentence was less than a year ago, in April 2017.
“What did you do?
“Within two months you’d breached it and were on hard drugs.
“You went on to get a spectacular collection of offences, including house burglary.
“Judge Brown, on that occasion, probably said ‘Can you do it, can you hack it?’ “
Simmons said: “I’ve got a lot of support and help.
“I’d like you to give me the chance please.”
She said she planned to stay with a friend in Leicester, near her soon-to-be stepmother, who had offered her a job as a trainee hairdresser.
Lynsey Knott, prosecuting, said Simmons stole a dress, as well as £200 and bank cards from a shop counter in Humberstone Road - and when the owner confronted her she threatened to falsely report him for raping her, on June 17.
On August 7, she and a male were caught stealing £876 worth of goods from B & Q in Devonshire Road, Leicester.
On October 26, Simmons and a male accomplice took a taxi and were unable to pay the fare.
On getting out of the cab, Simmons snatched cash from the driver’s shirt pocket and grabbed the keys from the ignition.
Her accomplice hit the driver and the pair made off in the taxi, later found damaged and was written off; causing the stranded victim to lose a month’s income.
On October 30, Simmons asked a motorist for a lift and then stole his wallet containing bank cards - from the glove compartment - which she fraudulently used to obtain about £50 of goods.
Later that day, she asked a householder unloading items from his Audi Q7 car in Leicester, for a lift.
When he refused, she entered his house and stole his spare car key, before making off with the vehicle, which was later recovered.