'Devious' underwear thief jailed

A devious thief who repeatedly broke into women’s homes to steal their underwear has been jailed for three years.

Nigel Hewing, 55, broke into six addresses in Radcliffe-on-Trent over a ten year period between 2002 and 2012 and stole underwear from his victims.

Hewing, of Bakerdale Road, Carlton, would enter their homes while the women were out and search for underwear, usually taking pillowcases from their beds to use as a makeshift bag to carry the garments.

Hewing pleaded guilty to 13 counts of burglary, one of theft and one of attempted burglary and was sentenced at Nottinghamshire Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 7 November 2012).

His crimes came to light earlier this year when he tried to break into the home of his most recent victim, a 45-year-old woman. She encountered the offender on 20 June when she was about to leave work and was having trouble releasing the handbrake in her car.

She noticed a man parked in a silver Mercedes in the street, and asked for his assistance. After he helped her, the woman left for work.

Hewing was then seen going into her garden and tried to kick down the back door of the house but fled before he could get inside.

When the victim returned later in the day, she discovered the damaged door and that the key to the porch had been taken.

She reported it to police and revealed that she had been the victim of a burglary four years earlier in which her underwear and a pillowcase were stolen. She also explained that underwear had been stolen from her washing line just the day before.

Hewing was questioned by police and, although he initially denied being involved, went on to admit he had carried out the attempted burglary and had in fact broken into the house before in 2008, stealing underwear from one of the bedrooms.

He also confessed that he had broken into several other houses in Radcliffe-on-Trent over the years to steal women’s underwear.

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Detective Constable Alan Oxley, from West Bridgford CID, said: “Initially Hewing appeared very unassuming and came across as an average man – not sinister or threatening at all.

“But as we began to question him, the extent of his devious offending became clear. He began to break into houses and steal women’s underwear about ten years ago and it became a sort of obsession for him.

“He would monitor his victims and become familiar with their daily routine and knew when they were not home and so he could carry out his criminal deeds without being disturbed.”

He broke into one woman’s house on five occasions over five years, and targeted another house three times. He broke into another address twice and carried out single burglaries at two other houses.

DC Oxley added: “The impact his actions had on the victims should not be underestimated. They were left feeling frightened and violated; scared that he would return when they were at home and possibly assault them. Some even accused people close to them of being responsible for the theft of their underwear – he caused all sorts of problems.

“I have spoken to many of the victims involved and they are pleased that he has been held to account for what he did and feel some closure. I hope they will now be able to move on from this deeply violating experience.”