Published date: 16 January 2017 |
Published by: Staff reporterRead more articles by Staff reporterEmail reporter
A TEARAWAY teenager who ransacked a couple’s North Wales home while they were on holiday has been jailed.
Defendant Alexander Lee Williams, 19, was one of two who fled from the scene after police were alerted by neighbours.
The property had been ransacked and items of jewellery stolen.
Mold Crown Court heard that Williams, of Coed Aben in Wrexham, had only been out of custody a matter of days when he committed the burglary at Prospect Drive in Coedpoeth.
He had been recalled to custody after the burglary in July and was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
Judge Niclas Parry said it was a serious burglary, which he had committed with another.
“It involved taking very valuable items,” the judge said.
“It was a gross invasion of a family’s privacy including entering their bedroom.”
Williams, said Judge Parry, had an “appalling record”.
It was a day time burglary at unoccupied premises, there had been no confrontation and the stolen goods had been recovered.
He had pleaded guilty.
Prosecutor David Mainstone told how the owners were on holiday when the burglary occurred.
A neighbour raised the alarm when he saw two youths near the patio doors at the attacked premises.
When he returned he saw that the patio doors were open.
Police arrived and chased them across neighbouring gardens.
Fences had been damaged as they fled.
The second young man had been dealt with at the local youth court.
Williams was found to be wearing black gloves and when his jacket was unzipped a quantity of jewellery was recovered.
In a victim impact statement, the complainants told how their bedroom was left in a complete mess.
It had been ransacked with drawers left open and fixtures and fittings damaged.
About £1,000 worth of damage had been caused.
They had been devastated to hear the news from the police when they were on holiday.
A kitchen knife had also been taken and the victims were concerned that someone had been walking around their home armed with a knife.
They had lived at the property for 29 years and had never had to face such a thing before.
But they had now invested in alarms and additional security features because they did not feel safe in their own home.
They now feared leaving their home.
Stephen Edwards, defending, said that he had an appalling record for dwelling house burglary and he had served a three year sentence in 2014.
It was accepted that the victims felt a considerable sentence of violation.
Williams did not have the best start in life which was often the case in youngsters who went off the rails.
He did not seek to make any excuses.
The defendant had only just been released from custody following a violent disorder and he was disappointed that he had offended so soon.
It was a sad feature that when asked why he got involved in such burglaries it was because he felt that he had no hope in life.
Mr Edwards said that there was a danger that the longer he spent in custody that he would become institutionalised.
The defendant was “a hanger on” who ran with the wrong crowd.
http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/171343/wrexham-teenager-jailed-for-ransacking-couple-s-home-while-they-were-on-holiday.aspx
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