Heartless burglar stole woman's late son's baby bonnet while she was in hospital
A heartless burglar broke into a dementia sufferer's home while she was in hospital and stole her late baby son's dummy and baby bonnet. David Power also targeted a recently bereaved widower's house when she was away on holiday in order to fund his £100-a-day drug habit.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Friday, that the 42-year-old first targeted GSB Signs, a family-run business based in Appleton Village in Widnes. Company director Gemma Callow was said to have locked up the premises on the evening of September 17 this year before returning the next morning to discover that an intruder had smashed their way in through a window and stolen a desktop computer, keyboard and mouse from her desk, as well as power tools from the workshop.
Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, described how Power, of Cunningham Road in the town, then struck again at the address of Jean Glover on Woodland Avenue. The widower, whose husband died earlier this year, had gone on holiday on September 11 with her granddaughter and was due to spend a week away.
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But she then received a phone call from the police late on September 17 informing her that two offenders on bikes had tried to force their way into her home via a patio window. A neighbour however heard the sound of breaking glass and halted the burglary in progress.
The court also heard that Stephanie Wharton left her home on Birchfield Road around lunchtime on September 21 before her husband Daniel "nipped out to the shops". The family later discovered that items including an iPhone, a digital camera and jewellery, which were valued at a combined total of up to £500, were missing.
A footprint matching Power's footwear was subsequently discovered on the windowsill of the couple's eight-year-old's bedroom. Eight items of gold-coloured jewellery he stole from the house were later recovered upon his arrest on September 25.
Before then however, the defendant burgled the home of a dementia sufferer in her late 80s whom the ECHO has chosen not to name. Her daughter visited the property on September 22 while she was in hospital before returning the following morning to discover the break-in, with a rear window again having been smashed.
A quantity of jewellery and several items belonging to her late husband were taken, as were her son's baby bonnet and dummy. He passed away aged only 10 months in the 1950s.
The valuables taken were valued at a total of around £1,000. The victim's daughter said in a statement which was read out to the court that the incident had been "traumatic, heart breaking and overwhelming" for the family.
Ms Glover meanwhile said she is "still coming to terms with being a widower and feels like she has taken a step back" since the burglary. She added that the the phone call from the police officer was a "horrible way to end what was a great holiday".
Mr Wharton said in his statement that the items taken from them included "heirlooms and gifts from special occasions", adding: "The knowledge that a stranger violated the sanctity of our home has resulted in profound anxiety and depression. The thought that I was moments away from him was very distressing."
Power was ultimately identified as being the culprit as a result of CCTV footage. He has a total of 65 previous convictions for 156 offences, including eight for dwelling burglaries.
Paul Wood, defending, told the court: "He wishes me to say that he is ashamed for what he has done. This defendant has had a remarkably difficult upbringing. He is an individual whose previous convictions perhaps support the contention that this is a defendant who had a childhood and an upbringing that was absolutely shocking. He witnessed domestic violence and he was the victim of domestic violence.
"He came out of mainstream education when he was about 14. He left with no real qualifications. He, more recently, has been diagnosed with PTSD. That, in essence, has been compounded by his father's death about two years ago. He actually found his father dead. He believes that he has been damaged from a young age.
"He has been using heroin and crack cocaine since he was a young man. He was addicted. In essence, he says that he was using, at the time of the offending, about £100 a day.
"He accrued a debt and he was placed under pressure. It was against that background that he committed the offences he did. When he is sober and thinking straight, he shows empathy for these individuals and realises that what he did was seriously wrong."
Power admitted three counts of burglary, attempted burglary and four charges of breaching a criminal behaviour order. Appearing in the dock wearing a blue Emporio Armani jumper, he was jailed for five years.
Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris said: "It is obvious from your criminal record that you have no regard for other people's property. Mental health issues are no excuses for the way you behaved."