Man caught in bedroom of elderly woman in Leeds dementia care home

A burglar who was discovered in the bedroom of an elderly dementia patient at a Leeds care home has been sentenced to prison. Staff at the Armley care home were alerted by a movement sensor in the early hours of September 6 this year.

Upon checking on the woman, who is in her eighties, they found her asleep but discovered Mark Ambler hiding in the bathroom. They detained him on the premises until police arrived and arrested him on suspicion of burglary.

A scene examination revealed that Ambler had used wire cutters to breach a security band on the ground floor window for entry. In police custody, he was found with a quantity of crack cocaine.

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He was charged with burglary and possession of a Class A drug, both of which he admitted at Leeds Crown Court earlier this week. Ambler, 42, of no fixed address, received a sentence of three years and nine months imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Vicky Vessey, head of Leeds District Crime Team, said: "Ambler is a prolific offender who broke into the room of this elderly victim in the middle of the night at a care home for vulnerable people.

"Fortunately, the victim was not disturbed by him as she slept, and thanks to the vigilance of the staff, he was caught and detained.

"We know this was a distressing incident for the victim's family and for staff at the home, and we hope they can take some comfort from knowing Ambler is now safely behind bars."

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