Wrexham,North Wales - Burglar 'trashed' Wrexham couple's car and home while they were on holiday

Published date: 18 April 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A BURGLAR desperate for drugs “trashed” a couple’s home while they were on holiday.

David Carl Edwards stole car keys in another burglary, took a woman’s car and lived in it, leaving it smelly and dirty.

Edwards broke into two cars and stole property inside, including the practise kit of a professional footballer.

Edwards, 45, of Abbott Street in Wrexham, who had previous convictions for more than 90 offences, was jailed for two years after he admitted two house burglaries and three thefts.

He had committed the offences while desperate for drugs and had left syringes and other items in a burgled house and the stolen car, which had a significant effect on the owners, Mold Crown Court was told.

Edwards was arrested in Llangollen fast asleep in a car.

Speaking to him via a live television link to Altcourse Prison in Liverpool, the judge, Mr Recorder Timothy Petts, said that he had violated the burgled house, which he had trashed and he had also taken drugs while in the property.

The car was left not only damaged but filthy after he used it as a toilet and somewhere to take drugs.

“You are a habitual criminal, no doubt stealing and committing burglaries to acquire valuable items to fund a drugs habit,” the judge told him.

“It is totally unacceptable behaviour.”

The time had come for a prison sentence to mark the severity of his offending.

Prosecutor Emmalyne Downing told how a couple in the Foxwood Drive area of Wrexham went on holiday to Tenerife in September last year to relax after both had suffered bereavements.

But the holiday was spoiled when they were told four days into it that their home had been broken into.

They tried to get an early flight back but were unable to do so and when they returned found their home “totally trashed” and a large amount of property had been stolen, including jewellery, cash, cameras, phones, tools, a large television, a computer and even socks, coats and razers.

There were used syringes in their bed, food had been taken, he had smoked throughout the house leaving cigarette ends on the floor and while they used to love the house they now wanted to leave, but couldn’t because they were subject to a rental contract.

Even Christmas presents to a late parent had been taken causing great distress.

Professional footballer Aaron Edwards had been parked up outside his partner’s home in the Wrexham area on September 12 and his sports bag containing his football training equipment and his team kit valued at about £600 had been taken from his vehicle.

An attempt had been made to enter the boot to take his golf clubs.

A few days later a burglary occurred at a woman’s home in Pentrebychan, Wrexham, and a distinctive Honda Shuttle, which had been imported, was stolen after the keys were taken from the porch.

The victim had to increase security at her home and when the car was recovered she was shocked that it was in such a state.

Not only was it damaged, but it smelt of urine and there was human excrement on the passenger seat which she said was disgusting and incomprehensible.

Syringes had also been left in the car and the victim told how the condition of the car was “vomit inducing” and she had driven it home with the window open and then had an immediate shower.

The defendant broke into a man’s car parked at Llangollen youth club when a laptop and DVDs had been taken.

John Hedgecoe, defending, said that his client’s strongest possible mitigation had been his early guilty pleas.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/161023/burglar-trashed-wrexham-couple-s-car-and-home-while-they-were-on-holiday.aspx