Jailed: Alexis Neiers, left, shown here with fellow reality star Tess Taylor, has confessed her guiltA reality TV star has admitted stealing from the Hollywood home of British actor Orlando Bloom rather than face him across a U.S. courtroom.
The Pirates Of The Caribbean actor had planned to confront the teenage burglar who stole more than £400,000 worth of jewellery from his property.
But the prospect of facing Bloom across a Los Angeles courtroom proved too much for 18-year-old Alexis Neiers.
She pleaded no contest to a charge of breaking into the star's £1.8million home last July and was yesterday sentenced to six months in jail as part of a plea deal.
Neiers, a member of the so-called 'Bling Ring' gang who also broke into the homes of celebrities including Paris Hilton, was also ordered to stay away from the actor.
She was told to pay restitution to Bloom that could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Several valuable Rolex watches stolen during the burglary have never been recovered along with other pieces of jewellery.
Orlando Bloom with Miranda Kerr in Paris last weekNeiers's lawyer said Bloom's decision to turn up in court persuaded her to plead no contest.
'I think the fact that Orlando Bloom would testify, and the weight of a celebrity testifying against Alexis, made us realise the odds were stacked against us,' said Jeffrey Rubenstein.
Neiers, an aspiring model, had faced up to six years in jail. As a result of a plea deal she will serve a six-month jail sentence, beginning next month.
She was part of a group of six teenagers who targeted the homes of celebrities in Hollywood.
The gang broke into the homes of Bloom, Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson and The Hills star Audrina Patridge, stealing millions of dollars worth of jewellery, clothing and art in 2008 and 2009.
CCTV images of the 'Bling Ring' gang breaking into Lindsay Lohan's Hollywood Hills homeThey used the internet to determine if the Hollywood stars were away from home before breaking in.
Nick Prugo, another member of the gang who has admitted his part in the thefts, revealed they were able to gain access to Hilton's home after finding a front door key under the front mat.
He said they had chosen her because she was 'dumb' - but were shocked to find the key in the most obvious of places
The group got away with the burglaries for months until a break in the case came when security cameras at one of the alleged robbery targets, the home of reality television star Audrina Patridge, caught them on tape searching the home.
One of the gang, possibly Alexis Neiers, pulls a hood up over her head outside Lohan's homeFour other people are to go on trial later this year in connection with the thefts.
Neiers is one of the stars of the E! TV reality show Pretty Wild which follows the antics of three sisters seeking fame on the Hollywood party circuit.
She was arrested by police after filming for the series was completed.
After her arrest Neiers admitted being in Bloom's house but denied taking any property. She claimed she was too drunk to have stolen anything.
But she was caught on a security camera fleeing from Bloom's home he shares with Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr.
Neiers wiped away a tear yesterday when Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza imposed the plea-bargained sentence that included the jail term, three years' probation, a two-year suspended prison sentence and restitution to be determined later.
source: dailymail
