Unusual burglary shakes Monmouthshire resident
In a bizarre turn of events, a burglar in Wales broke into a woman’s home, carried out several household chores, and left behind an unsettling note. The incident, which occurred in Monmouthshire on July 16, has left the victim too frightened to stay in her own house.
The burglar, Damian Wojnilowicz, took care of tasks like hanging out the woman’s washed clothes, putting her groceries in the refrigerator, and even emptying the bin. Prosecutor Alice Sykes, speaking at the Cardiff Crown Court, also revealed that Wojnilowicz cooked himself a meal using the woman’s stove and food from her cupboards.
Chilling note left behind
Perhaps the most disturbing part of the break-in was the note left by Wojnilowicz. After completing his chores, he wrote, “Don’t worry, be happy, eat up and scratch,” adding an eerie layer to the already strange burglary.
The victim returned home to find her belongings moved around. She quickly became fearful and, upon checking with a neighbor, learned that someone had been seen hanging her laundry outside.
“I was too scared to stay in my own home and stayed with a friend. When I returned home, I was accompanied by my daughter as I was too scared to go alone,” the woman said in a statement.
Additional tasks and strange behavior
Wojnilowicz didn’t stop at basic chores. He filled bird feeders in the garden, moved plant pots, and even unwrapped a new pair of shoes, disposing of the packaging in the recycling bin. He took further liberties by reorganizing the fridge and cleaning the bathroom floor. Adding to the bizarre list of tasks, he replaced toothbrush heads in the bathroom and drank a bottle of wine, leaving it next to a glass and bottle opener.
Caught in another burglary
Just two weeks later, on July 29, Wojnilowicz broke into another home. This time, the homeowner received a CCTV alert and discovered Wojnilowicz showering in the summerhouse and later taking a bath. He also helped himself to food. When confronted by the victim’s son-in-law, Wojnilowicz left but was later arrested. His DNA matched fingerprints found in the first burglary.
Victim’s trauma and sentencing
The Monmouthshire resident shared the emotional toll the crime had taken, saying, “Two weeks after the crime, until he was caught, I was living in a state of heightened anxiety I had never experienced before.”
Wojnilowicz pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and was sentenced to 22 months in jail for his peculiar and unsettling crimes.