Woman stole hospitalised friend's watches

Janet Behrsing sold part of her friend's watch collection (file photo)

A woman who stole her friend's watch collection while he was in hospital has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Janet Behrsing agreed to look after a set of 100 watches while her friend was having a foot amputated and his house was undergoing repairs, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The 61-year-old from Sunderland instead sold 10 of the watches, said to be of high monetary and sentimental value, then lied that they had been stolen.

She was jailed for eight months, suspended for a year, and ordered to complete 160 hours unpaid work after admitting theft.

Behrsing, of Athelstan Rigg, was also ordered to pay £3,600 to the man who told the court the theft had left him feeling "absolutely depressed" and "cheated" by someone he thought he could trust.

Family heirlooms

Prosecutor Matthew Hopkins said the man and Behrsing had been friends since 2010.

In April 2020 he was admitted to hospital for three months at the same time as major work to tackle subsidence was going on at his home.

The man entrusted his collection, which he spent 20 years amassing, to Behrsing who then gave multiple excuses for not returning them.

Mr Hopkins said Behrsing made a report to police claiming the watches had been stolen from her, but later admitted lying.

In a statement, Behrsing's victim said he valued the missing watches at £30,000 although the court heard no definite valuation could be determined.

The man said some of the watches had been left to him by relatives who had since died.

In mitigation, Annalisa Moscardini said Behrsing was "very sorry" and "understands how devastating that has been for [the victim]".

Recorder Nathan Moxon said Berhsing was "entrusted" with the watch collection but had "breached" that trust.

The judge said the theft was "particularly unpleasant", but he accepted Behrsing was genuinely remorseful.