Manningham woman had helped in Stephen Grifftihs murder probe

Katherine McConnell, 31, who made a police statement during the investigation that led to Stephen Griffiths being charged with the murders of three prostitutes, pleaded guilty to five charges of theft and asked for five other offences to be considered.

She was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court today to a 12-month Intensive Alternative to Custody order, with supervision, a specified activity programme and drug rehabilitation requirement. Prosecutor Kathryn Walsh said the offences involved McConnell, 31, of Manningham Lane, Manningham, Bradford, approaching men in vehicles around Thornton Road, making sexual advances towards them, getting in the vehicles and taking items of property, which included money and mobile phones, and then fleeing.

The offences took place between April, 2009, and May this year.

Miss Walsh said male motorists were targeted as they stopped at traffic lights and junctions.

McConnell would tap on their windows, jump into the passenger seat and offer business. The complainants, who often were on their way home from work, would tell her to get out, but after she had left they discovered that property had been taken.

One man, who had been on his way to the bank, had £840 stolen from an envelope in his car.

The court heard McConnell had a long criminal record, mostly for loitering as a prostitute and theft from people.

In May, 2006, she was jailed for three years for burgling elderly people.

Alistair Bateman, mitigating, said she had been drugs-free but relapsed and went rapidly downhill.

Judge James Goss QC said they were serious offences but he was prepared to offer her the opportunity to rehabilitate herself.

The judge told her: “I take the view society may be best served by that, rather than sending you back to prison.

“I want you to understand, if you do not comply with the terms of this order you can expect to receive an 18-month sentence.”