Jennifer Frew: Fairy Meadow woman narrowly dodges jail after ‘terrifying’ Wollongong home invasion

It took much less than a CSI unit to track down this ridiculous home invader, who put her foot in it when she left her stinky canvas sneakers at the scene of a bungled, yet “terrifying” break-in.

Jennifer Frew broke into the Wollongong unit on March 1 last year. Picture: Dylan Arvela

A home invader who bungled a Wollongong robbery when she left her shoes at the scene of the crime has narrowly dodged jail time after the ‘terrifying’ break-in in which the occupants were asleep.

Jennifer Frew, 49, was sentenced in Wollongong District Court on Thursday, 14 months after breaking into a Stewart St, Wollongong unit to steal a multitude of items while the occupants slept.

The Fairy Meadow woman was ultimately charged with and pleaded guilty to aggravated break and enter, and dishonestly obtain financial advantage as a result of the offending, deemed “terrifying” by Judge Andrew Haesler on Thursday.

Agreed facts state Frew broke into the Wollongong unit on March 1 last year, where she wandered around the home and stole two handbags – containing credit cards – a backpack and a pair of headphones.

However, when fleeing the scene, the court heard Frew forgot to grab an item which ultimately led to her arrest – her Toms canvas shoes.

Jennifer Frew was sentenced in Wollongong District Court. Picture: Dylan Arvela

Police were contacted the following morning by the residents when they found the items to be missing, their back door wide open and Frew’s shoes sitting on their balcony.

The investigation into Frew’s offending only grew when police were provided CCTV footage from a nearby shopping centre, where the 49-year-old home invader was captured attempting to purchase a smartphone with the stolen card mere hours after fleeing the scene.

Jennifer Frew leaving was sentenced to an intensive correction order. Picture: Dylan Arvela

She was later arrested by police on March 8, charged, and refused bail following police investigations, including the forensic examination of her forgotten shoes.

However, Frew was ultimately granted bail on July 8, shortly before entering pleas.

During sentencing on Thursday, Frew’s lawyer Adam Booker said his client had drastically changed the trajectory of her life following the offending, participating in extensive rehabilitation and becoming sober.

Despite this, Judge Haesler slammed the offending as “extremely serious” and said it pointed to a broader NSW epidemic.

“There are people all over this state who have had enough of having their houses broken into at night,” he said.

“[Frew] knew these residents were home.

“To wake and learn there was a stranger in your home must be terrifying.”

Before sentencing, Judge Haesler also labelled the offending “opportunistic” and “senseless”, saying the risk taken by Frew to break into the apartment ultimately led to “zero reward”.

“This kind of offending would usually lead to full time custody, but with your efforts with rehabilitation and turning your life around, you should be rewarded,” he said.

Frew was convicted and sentenced to a two year and two month intensive correction order, with orders to continue rehabilitation.

She was also ordered to complete 250 hours of community service.

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