Norwich: Woman gave false alibi to violent burglar partner

Shelley White, 35, admitted she had lied when she told police her partner had been asleep next to her at their Norwich home.

If fact he was part of a violent gang breaking into a house armed with baseball bats and a crowbar six miles away in the early hours of the morning. 

Paul Maccoll, 36, of Randall Road, was jailed for five years last November after pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated burglary.

White admitted perverting the course of justice over a statement she gave to police investigating the break-in. 

Paul Maccoll pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Sentencing her at Norwich Crown Court recorder Andrew Mcloughlin said: “In loyalty to him you provided false evidence to support a defence to a very serious offence that was committed by him - a violent burglary with three people involved in invading someone's home in the early hours of the morning.”

While officers in a statement they had gone to bed but that her partner had woken and the last time she saw him was when he was downstairs in their home.

But the court heard her accounts had been deliberately vague in order to try to avoid getting herself into trouble. 

“You frankly seemed to try to conceal the truth by confusion as to what you were 100 percent certain of and what you were a little unclear about,” said Recorder Mcloughlin.

“That is called in one word obfuscation in order to conceal the truth.”

CCTV of the break-in involving Paul Maccoll (Image: Norfolk Constabulary/Channel 5)

He added: “Fortunately the effect of your attempt was minimal because the police had already obtained CCTV footage showing Maccoll with another individual as part of a team of criminals committing an aggravated burglary.

"That was no thanks to you.” 

Sentencing her to nine months imprisonment suspended for two years, he said she had only narrowly avoided immediate custody as it would have a “significant impact” on her two children.