Raiders broke in and vandalised mum's flat while she was being treated for cancer

The woman was left physically sick after returning to find doors forced open, faeces and urine on the bathroom floor drawers ransacked, and her bed had been slept in, a court heard, and has left the flat and Boston as a result.

Boston Magistrates Court heard how the victim, who is from Sheffield, rented a flat Witham Place to be able to come and see her daughter.

She had been away for treatment in her home city when she came back to the devastating discovery.

Arturs Kormis, 32, of Red Lion Street, had admitted burglary of the property and theft of socks, as well as possessing cannabis, when he appeared at Boston Magistrates Court in May, and was appearing for sentence earlier this week.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said the victim returned to the flat on March 14 after being in Sheffield receiving treatment for her cancer, and found that the flat door had been forced open.

He said she felt physically sick and had decided to leave Boston and had given up the flat rental.

Mr Clare said Kormis was identified from his fingerprints left on a beer can and a packet of cigarettes and was arrested, at which time cannabis was found in his bag.

In interview, he said the flat had already been broken into before he went in but he did admit he had slept in the flat overnight and had stolen socks he had found over a radiator.

In mitigation, Pardeep Kalyan said there was 'no evidence' that Kormis broke into the flat himself or had done any of the various things that were done.

He said that 'to sentence him for everything that happened would be unfair'.

He said Kormis, who has no previous convictions for dishonesty, understood the impact this had caused to the victim but that he 'should not have to account for what everybody else has done'.

He added that Kormis, who is a Latvian national but has been living in the UK for 12 years, was homeless and slept in a tent.

Kormis was ordered to undertake 20 rehabilitation days and to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work for the community.

He was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to the victim.

He was fined £40 for possessing cannabis.