Gless Says She Lied About Her Residence : Trial: The actress testifies that she feared publicity after a break-in at her house, allegedly by an obsessive fan.

Actress Sharon Gless, co-star of the “Cagney and Lacey” TV series, testified Wednesday that she lied when she told reporters that she did not live at the Studio City house that an obsessed fan allegedly invaded with a rifle.

She was worried that disclosure of her address would lead to copycat incidents by other fans, Gless testified at a preliminary hearing in San Fernando Municipal Court for Joni Leigh Penn, 30, of Garden Grove.

“The reason was to protect me, since it’s been blasted all over the press what my exact address was,” Gless said. “I was very upset when I saw my actual address on the curb being photographed by the press.”

Gless, through her publicist Heidi Schaeffer, told reporters at the time of the incident that the house was used primarily as an office and that the actress resided elsewhere. In fact, Gless said Wednesday, she sleeps at the house about five nights a week and spends the other nights at her second house, which detectives said is in Malibu.

The issue of whether Gless lived at the house is important because Penn cannot be found guilty of residential burglary if the dwelling was used as an office, said Penn’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Mitchell J. Bruckner.

Penn was charged with two counts of residential burglary after police said she barricaded herself in the actress’ house on March 30 with a .22-caliber rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition. Police persuaded Penn to surrender after a seven-hour standoff.

Penn threatened to commit suicide and intended to commit an act of sexual battery on Gless, said detectives, who would not elaborate.

One of the counts stems from an alleged burglary three days earlier at the house, in which Penn allegedly stole Gless’ address book to obtain the location of the actress’ Malibu house.

Penn, described by police as an obsessive fan of Gless’, sent the actress at least 140 letters over a three-year period, authorities said. Gless obtained a restraining order in 1988 forbidding Penn to harass the actress or her family.

Gless testified that she did not feel seriously threatened by Penn despite the fact that the stream of letters continued after the restraining order was issued.

“I didn’t honestly feel anything like this would happen, never in a million years,” Gless said. “I don’t think that way. Other people were much more concerned than I.”