Linda MASON
v.
STATE of Mississippi.
Supreme Court of Mississippi.
*145 W.E. Gore, Jr., L. Breland Hilburn, Jackson, Paul G. Swartzfager, Laurel, L.B. Porter, Union, for appellant.
A.F. Summer, Atty. Gen., by Catherine Walker Underwood, Special Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for appellee.
Before INZER, SUGG and LEE, JJ.
SUGG, Justice for the Court.
Defendant, Linda Mason was indicted, tried and convicted in the Circuit Court of Newton County of the crime of burglary under Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-17-19 (1972). Specifically, defendant was convicted of burglary arising out of breaking and entering a dwelling and committing the crime of malicious mischief therein. Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-17-67 (1972). Defendant was sentenced to serve a two year prison term and appeals her conviction to this Court.
Defendant's conviction resulted from an incident that occurred on January 13, 1976, at Mr. and Mrs. Harold Mason's home located south of Newton. At the time of the incident the defendant was married to the Masons' oldest son. Mr. and Mrs. Mason left their home for work around 7:00 a.m. on the morning of January 13. Both the front and back doors to the house were closed but not locked. Upon returning home that afternoon, the couple discovered that a liquid, ultimately determined to be acid, had been poured over much of the furniture and clothing throughout the house. The acid caused the surfaces it came into contact with to deteriorate.
The sheriff was immediately called to the scene and following an inspection of the premises, the sheriff, along with the defendant's husband, drove to a cafe in Newton where the defendant was working. After a brief discussion between the defendant and her husband, the defendant announced that she wanted to talk to the sheriff concerning the incident at the Masons' home. The sheriff advised the defendant of her constitutional rights, following which the defendant admitted that she had poured acid inside the Masons' home.
Although several issues are raised by the defendant, only one merits discussion. The defendant does not seriously contend that she did not commit the offense of pouring acid on the Masons' furnishings and clothing; however, she argues that she is not guilty of burglary because she had the consent of the Masons to enter their home. Defendant argues that because breaking and entering is a necessary element of the crime of burglary, entering a dwelling with the owner's consent negates breaking and entering. The defendant therefore concludes that she is not guilty of burglary because she had the Masons' consent to enter the house at the time the offense was committed.
The crime of burglary consists of two essential elements: (1) burglarious *146 breaking and entering of a dwelling or building, and (2) the intent to commit a crime therein. Newburn v. State,
In Holderfield v. State,
In the present case the testimony does not establish that the Masons ever gave the defendant express permission to enter and leave their home when they were not present. The question of whether the Masons had impliedly given their consent to the defendant to enter their home at the time the offense was committed was a question to be determined by the jury.
Although the defendant was entitled to a jury instruction on the question of her consent to enter the dwelling, such instruction was not requested by her. In Newell v. State,
AFFIRMED.
GILLESPIE, C.J. PATTERSON and INZER, P. JJ., and SMITH, ROBERTSON, WALKER, BROOM and LEE, JJ., concur.
