A teenage burglar who filmed and mocked two vulnerable victims as he ransacked through their belongings has been sentenced.
Police were alerted to a break-in at a property in Bulwell in the early hours of 4 August 2023 when the victim reported that an intruder was inside his house.
The victim, who is registered blind, said he believed a burglar had entered through the back door and stole a number of items before he was disturbed and shouted out to them.
The burglar, a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested by officers from Leicestershire Police on other matters and his mobile phone was seized.
Two videos found on the device showed him inside homes where he zoomed in on victims who were lying in their beds.
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Detectives were able to identify the blind man as one of the victims and the offender admitted in interview that he had broken into the home of another vulnerable victim on the same street in Bulwell on the same night.
He said he hadn’t stolen anything after realising the woman was under medical treatment and was ‘hooked up to machines’.
When officers searched his home they found bank cards and a visual impairment card in the first victim’s name.
The boy pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Wednesday (18 October) he was sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order which will include a curfew and a robbery and burglary programme.
Detective Inspector Julian Eminson-Ferry, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Finding an intruder in your home in the middle of the night would be a terrifying experience for any victim.
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“However, it must have been even more frightening for this victim who is registered blind. I can’t begin to imagine what a confusing and disturbing ordeal this must have been for him.
“The teenager admitted in interview that he knew what he did was wrong and I hope he continues to reflect on how upsetting this must have been for these two vulnerable victims during the rehabilitation he has been ordered to carry out.
“I’d like to commend both victims for their bravery during this case.”
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