Burglary is generally an opportunist crime rather than something done by professionals as in the old days. That's partly because we have some much less in our homes that can be resold and partly down to CCTV alarms etc. Therefore it is rare that burglars act when a house is occupied and locking doors and windows is an effective deterrant.
In the case in Quill Lane it may be that the thief observed the person's phone to be of value at an earlier time and entered the house specifically to take it. Make sure you don't have a hot spot set up on your phone when you are out and about. Thieves can use this to identify your phone and confirm its location.