How the Herald reported Belinda's disappearance earlier this year.
When police found missing Sydney woman Belinda Burcham "dishevelled and confused" in Paddington, she thought she had only been away for a few hours.
But, court documents show, Ms Burcham, an Obeid family associate, spent almost a week breaking into houses in Roylston Street, Paddington, in December and January to steal alcohol including Grange
Hermitage wines worth $1600, cheap cooking wine and cigarettes.
Ms Burcham's Legal Aid solicitor entered guilty pleas to six charges, including several break and enter offences and larceny, in Waverley Local Court on Monday.
Ms Burcham did not appear because she is in a rehabilitation centre in Sydney's southwest, the court heard.
A statement of police facts tendered to the court said Ms Burcham was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in the early hours of December 30 after going to her ex-husband's house in an "extremely intoxicated" state.
She left the hospital four hours later - barefoot and with a cannula still in her arm - and friends and family launched a high-profile search to find her.
During that time, the documents said, she was "stealing food and mainly alcohol to support her addiction".
On New Years' Eve she broke into a home by smashing a glass door and stole two bottles of brandy, one of which was found empty in the backyard, the police statement said.
Early on New Years' Day she broke into another house and stole Grange Hermitage wines, vintages 1997 and 1984, the documents said.
In following days Ms Burcham used a spade and a pitchfork to break into another house, where she stole cooking wine.
"[Ms Burcham] consumed a number of alcoholic drinks, which belonged to the owner, inside the premises," court documents said.
"[She] left empty bottles of alcohol inside the premises. Most of the bottles consisted of cheap cooking wine."
Police said there were also empty methylated spirits bottles found inside the house.
Ms Burcham was found in Paddington on January 5, and police took her back to hospital to be treated for alcohol poisoning.
The documents said she had been sheltering in and around one of the houses she broke into during the time she was missing.
The police statement said officers searched her parents' house four days later, but Ms Burcham was crying and shaking so much they couldn't interview her.
"[She] indicated she did not remember anything about the time she was missing and, in fact, commented at the time of being located she thought she was only missing for a couple of hours."
Ms Burcham, a long-time friend of Moses Obeid and his family and who has been employed as the office manager at the Obeid headquarters in Birkenhead Point, will be sentenced on May 6.
The owner of the Grange Hermitage wines has told police she will be seeking $1600 compensation.
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