A homeless heroin addict has admitted stealing $950 from a man while he slept, after he let her watch television at his house.

Melissa Sousa targeted George Simons of Glebe Road, Pembroke, on July 6, according to Senior Crown counsel Paula Tyndale. She told Magistrates’ Court yesterday Mr. Simons had guests over that day, including Sousa. After they left, Mr. Simons allowed Sousa to watch television and went to bed — having secreted $1,000 cash beneath his mattress before he fell asleep, said Ms Tyndale. He woke the next day to find both Sousa and the money missing, and called the Police.

Sousa was later arrested. She told Police in an interview that she took the money, but claimed she took it from Mr. Simons’ back pocket and not from under his mattress, and that she took $950 not $1,000.

Ms Tyndale told the court that Sousa is unemployed, and has criminal convictions dating back to 1993. Sousa told the court she has a heroin addiction.

She pleaded guilty to a second set of charges relating to her theft of a cheque book from another man, Albert Lloyd Mathews, on November 23, 2005. She admitted using one cheque to obtain $150 from Bermuda Financial Network, and another to attempt to obtain $250 from Bermuda Financial Network. Details of these offences were not read out in court.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to a third set of charges — breaking and entering the Paget home of Laura Sousa, her husband’s mother, on November 11, 2005, and also being found in that home on the same date.

Senior Magistrate Archibald remanded Sousa into custody and ordered pre-sentence reports to be prepared. She must appear once more before the court on August 16 when she will be sentenced on the charges she has admitted. A trial date will be set for the others.