Upset at losing some expensive dinner sets, she placed an ad in The Courier-Mail's Weekend Shopper pretending to look for a similar set.
According to news.com.au, one of the replies led her to a home where she recognised her dinner set and other property.
Finally the police were called and they traced the stolen goods to William John Suey, who was later sentenced to five and a half years jail.
At the sentence hearing in the District Court in Brisbane, Judge Warren Howell praised the efforts of the woman in tracking down the burglar.
Suey, 54, was part of a burglary ring that stole at least 305,000 dollars in property from homes in many Brisbane suburbs.
Prosecutor Chris Minnery said that the offences had been systematic, organised, pre-planned and sophisticated.
Barrister Douglas Wilson, for Suey, said that his client had drug problems and the jury's verdict indicated that they saw Suey as on the gang's periphery. (ANI)

















