Three women involved with a men who were responsible for a string of house burglaries in and around Norwich have appeared in court after admitting handling stolen goods.

Megan Drewery, 21, of Tower Close, Old Costessey; Liza Drewery, 40, of The Street, Poringland; and Antonia Zavanaiu, 33, of Russell Street, Norwich, have all admitted dishonestly receiving stolen goods.

All three appeared at Norwich Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced for the offences which came to light following a police investigation into a series of house burglaries in the Norwich area.

Kevin Eastwick, prosecuting, said 31 of the burglaries were linked to three men, David Page, Allen Turner and Mark Parfitt who were all charged with offences as a result and have since been sentenced.

The investigation led to properties, including those at Russell Street in Norwich and Tower Close in Costessey, being searched.

Mr Eastwick said �37,000 worth of items from 13 of the 31 burglaries were recovered from the home of Megan Drewery, who was Parfitt's partner.

The court heard Megan, who lives with her one-year-old daughter, pleaded guilty on the basis she was asked to let Turner and his partner stay at her address. She did so as she felt sorry for them.

Once in the house they started bringing items into the house which she initially did not 'know or suspect' were stolen although it soon became obvious they were. She however did not feel able to say anything as she 'didn't want to cause grief'.

Mr Eastwick said she was 'given some items she used as her own' like a camera and accepted her actions were 'dishonest'.

The court heard Liza Drewery, Megan's mother, had a pair of sunglasses linked to one of the burglaries recovered from her home. Mr Eastwick said Zavanaiu, who was the partner of Page, had property relating to six of the burglaries recovered from her Russell Street home, including a whiskey bottle containing coins and currency.

Matthew McNiff, for Megan Drewery, said she has had her life 'shattered by her own foolishness' but pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was not the prime mover or instigator of the operation.

Michael Clare, for Liza Drewery, said she had debts and led a full and emotionally taxing life, worked as a carer for ill and elderly people and had a seven-year-old son with cystic fibrosis.

Jonathan Morgans, for Zavanaiu, said at the time of the offences she was in a relationship with Page who was bringing items into the home. He said his client, who did not know they had been stolen from dwelling house burglaries, 'realises now she should've done something about it' but pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Judge Alasdair Darroch sentenced Liza Drewery to a 12 month community order and 50 hours unpaid work; Megan Drewery was ordered to serve a 12 month community order with supervision and a requirement that she attends the emotional wellbeing activity programme, while Zavanaiu was made the subject of a two year conditional discharge and ordered to pay �150 costs.

In May, Turner, of Glenn Road, Poringland was jailed for five years and four months and Page, of Russell Street, Norwich, for four years after both admitted conspiracy to burgle between August and October last year. Parfitt, of Woods Close, Norwich, was charged with handling stolen property and sentenced to 10 months imprisonment.

peter.walsh@archant.co.uk