A NURSE was left traumatised after two Runcorn burglars broke into her home in the early hours of the morning and stole her £28,000 Audi A3, Warrington Crown Court has heard.

Nathan Fowler, aged 25, of Norton Wood Lane, and Jack Willcott, aged 23, of The Knoll, Palacefields, admitted the burglary on Sunday, January 27, this year.

Footprints found on the window sill of her conservatory in Hillfield, Frodsham matched their footwear.

The pair were caught after a police chase the following day.

Her stolen car was tracked through automatic number plate recognition cameras.

Various items stolen from three other cars near the nurse’s home on the same night were found in the offenders’ possession.

Prosecuting Brett Williamson said: “The nurse had to be counselled. She woke up to find her handbag had been rifled through and her car had been stolen at 4am.

“She has found it extremely distressing. She has suffered disturbed sleep, anxiety and a degree of insecurity.”

He said her car was recovered but, altogether, she lost £1,500 in stolen property, lost income, repair to a damaged conservatory door and a mechanical check of her car.

Fowler admitted six counts of theft and asked for three other house burglaries to be taken into consideration.

He also admitted affray and having a blade in public after threatening a police officer outside Barcode nightclub in High Street, Runcorn in a separate incident on May 9, last year.

Fowler had been recalled to prison after committing crimes whilst out on licence for a robbery last year.

Mr Simon Christie, defending Fowler, asked the judge to give him credit for his guilty pleas.

Willcott, who had no previous convictions, admitted four counts of theft.

Mr John Banasko defending Willcott said he had a young daughter with his partner and ”had a lot to keep him on the straight and narrow.”

Sentencing the pair on July 16, Judge John Bromley Davenport jailed Fowler for two years and gave Willcott a 15 month sentence suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours community work and received a 12 month supervision order. They were both ordered to pay a victim’s surcharge.