Elderly residents living in fear after murderer ransacked care home
Elderly residents are living in fear after murderer on lifelong licence broke into their care home.
A murderer on lifelong licence ransacked a South Tyneside care home as residents slept – leaving them terrified he may return, a court heard.
Christopher Larsen, 59, also instilled fear in staff who turned up for work to find a window smashed open at Haven Court Care Home in McAnany Avenue, South Shields.
Larsen, of Vernon Close, near Tyne Dock, trashed an office in pinching hundreds of pounds of goodie bags and hampers.
But he left behind a blood spatter on the window during the overnight raid on Thursday, July 17 last year and it was sent for forensic testing - and came back a match.
Magistrates in South Tyneside heard he later handed himself into police when he realised the game was up.
No details of murder revealed to court
The court was told Larsen killed in 1998 but no details were revealed other than that he is on lifelong licence and subject to regular drug testing.
Prosecutor Glenda Beck said: “The manager reported to the police that when she arrived at work on June 18, she discovered the staff office had been broken into.
“There was damage to a window and a frame and there had been a messy search. The window looking out towards Harton Lane had been forced open.
“She confirmed that when she had finished her shift at 4pm the previous day, all windows to the office were secured.
“Bottles and gift bags, three hampers, three Asda gift vouchers and £40 in cash were missing.
“When she arrived for work at 6.55am, she noticed that a hamper was outside. Inside, documents had been thrown all over the floor.
“When she went into the office, she saw that the gift bags had been removed and items were missing.”
Blood stain on the window
Mrs Beck added: “Police attended, and scenes of crimes took samples and there was a blood stain from the window.
“It was submitted for forensic testing and in June last year was put on the DNA database, and Mr Larsen was the suspect.
“Items valued at a minimum of £452 were taken and the window and its frame had to be repaired at a cost of £1,898.
“The defendant was interviewed by police and said he was with someone else, and it was the other person who had gone into the office.
“He said that he helped him to get the stuff out and that he then went outside where the other man handed him things.
“When asked about his blood, he said that he must have reached through the window.
“He was last before a court in November 2023 but in 1998 he was convicted of murder and I’m told is on lifelong licence.”
In a victim statement, the manager said the burglar had “devastated” the care home and that it was “horrendous” that someone could steal from the elderly.
She also revealed staff and residents had been left scared "in case he came back”.
Larsen pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary with intent to steal.
David Forrester, defending, said: “He is on lifelong licence. Mr Larsen handed himself in to police and full admissions.”Magistrates adjourned the case for reports and Larsen will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, July 7.