Michael Myers and Jerry Connors targeted elderly victims in 'callous and wicked' distraction burglaries
Comments (0)
TWO men who carried out "callous and wicked" distraction burglaries on pensioners living alone in their 80s and 90s in Neath and Port Talbot have been jailed.
Michael Myers and Jerry Connors targeted three elderly people in the space of an hour, talking their way in their victims' properties and stealing cash and jewellery — but were caught just hours later after a police car and foot chase.
Swansea Crown Court heard the burglaries had left the victims feeling afraid and vulnerable in their own homes.
Myers, aged 36, and Connors, aged 23, had both previously pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary when they appeared in the dock for sentencing.
Dyfed Thomas, prosecuting, said the burglaries were all carried out in the space of an hour or so on the morning of July 6 — and all followed the same pattern.
The court heard Myers would knock on the door of the target house, and tell the victim his son or daughter had been playing with a catapult in the street and had smashed a window of the property — he would ask for a pen and paper to write his details on, then walk uninvited into the house and keep the victim talking.
His accomplice would sneak into the property through the open front door, and search for things to steal.
From the first burglary — at a house on Tonna Uchaf, Tonna — the pair got away with £83 from the purse of a widow in her 90s.
They left the second house, on nearby Heol Caredig, empty handed.
The third burglary was carried out in Sunnycroft Road, Baglan, when they stole £200 from their victim's handbag, and a necklace and pendant from a jewellery box in her bedroom.
However, the court heard a witness had spotted a suspicious-looking Ford Mondeo in the area of one of the burglaries and alerted police.
The car was spotted by officers on the M4 motorway near Pyle at around 10am — a chase ensued, and the vehicle was followed to Bryncethin where the occupants fled on foot. The pair were chased by officers and found hiding in gardens on Leyshon Way.
The court heard Connors, of Shirenewton travellers caravan site in St Mellon's, Cardiff, was a talented former amateur boxer who has previous convictions for taking a car without the owner's consent, and driving while disqualified.
Myers, aged 36, of Ashfield Court, St Mellon's, Cardiff, has previous convictions for more than a dozen distraction burglaries committed in London, Luton, Peterborough, Stevenage, Bath and Tonypandy — many using the same methods he had used in Tonna and Baglan.
His barrister said Myers was suffering with drug and mental health issues which weren't being addressed in custody — he has spent a total of 15 years in detention or prison since the age of 15 — and was suffering from an "inner turmoil" and was hearing voices in his head.
'Connors and Myers demonstrated a total disregard for their victims'
Judge Geraint Walters branded the trio of burglaries "callous and wicked" acts on vulnerable people, telling the pair they had invaded the privacy and safety of this victims' homes and wrecked their self-confidence. He said they had travelled to Neath and Port Talbot looking for people to steal from, and it was "no coincidence" that their targets had been elderly.
The judge sentenced Connors to a total of 43 months in prison, and Myers to five years and seven months. Both will serve half that time in custody before being released.
The sentences were welcomed by police in Neath and Port Talbot.
South Wales Police detective sergeant James Morris said:"The actions of Connors and Myers demonstrated a total disregard for their victims, which impacted on them significantly.
'He has spent a total of 15 years in detention or prison since the age of 15'
"We welcome the sentence, and hope that this provides the victims with some comfort in the knowledge that we have taken a two prolific burglars off the streets of South Wales."
He added: "We know that having your home burgled is a traumatic experience which is why we continue to commit so many resources to every reported burglary to bring offenders to justice."
No comments:
Post a Comment