Published date: 25 August 2016 |
Published by: Staff reporterRead more articles by Staff reporterEmail reporter
MEAN burglar David Michael Randles stole the television set of the elderly man who lived in an adjoining flat and sold it for drugs.
The victim was a 75-year-old vulnerable man who suffered from dementia.
Mold Crown Court heard how Randles even rang the victim’s daughter and told her there had been a burglary.
He said that he knew how he could get the television back and later returned it.
The court heard he felt bad, had a pang of conscience, and went to get the television back.
Randles, of Windsor Drive in Rhyl, admitted burglary at the local magistrates’ court and was sent to the crown court for sentence.
He was jailed for eight months.
Judge David Hale told him: “You deliberately burgled the flat of an elderly man downstairs who you knew suffered from dementia.
“Your desire for drugs was such that you took his television.”
He had targeted a vulnerable person’s property which was clearly an aggravating feature.
It was a mitigating feature that he later sought to return it “perhaps when you realised how much trouble you would be in with the family of the person who had lost the television. Even so, you did return it.”
The defendant, he said, had a bad record for dishonesty.
Prosecuting barrister Ryan Rothwell told the court how on July 30 the defendant rang the victim’s daughter and said that there had been a burglary when the television had been stolen.
He indicated that he knew who was responsible.
She called the police, officers attended and the defendant left and returned with the stolen television, indicated that he happened to see it in a local second hand store.
Police officers attended the store and it emerged that the defendant had sold the television to the shop.
But he later returned, apologised, said he needed it back and he asked the shopkeeper to lie if she was questioned about it.
Randles was arrested and he admitted the burglary in interview.
He claimed he had seen the victim leave his flat with the door unsecured. He took the opportunity to steal it to get money to buy drugs.
The court heard how he had previous convictions for 60 offences including burglary but defending barrister Sarah Yates said that it was a sporadic record.
He had not been in trouble since 2014 and his last burglary was back in 2008.
His background and the difficulties he had were spelled out in a detailed pre-sentence report, she said.
The defendant had pleaded guilty and there was an element of guilt and remorse and he had returned the stolen property, she said
SEE-http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/165968/rhyl-man-jailed-for-stealing-television-set-despite-trying-to-return-it.aspx
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