A woman still struggles to sleep after being woken up hearing the jangling of keys and seeing a burglar standing in her hallway searching through a bowl.
The man who entered through a front window stole keys to a BMW Smart car and a Renault Kangoo van, as well as a wallet, two Amazon tablets and house keys.
He then fled from the front door of the bungalow. The woman saw a man flee down the road, leaving the vehicles on the drive.
Cameron Ashley, 19, of Violet Hill in Mansfield was charged with burglary and theft and has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months after appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday (9 December 2020).
The charges relate to an incident on 26 August 2019 in Bowbridge Road in Newark on Trent at around 11.50pm.
Ashley was tracked down after forensic investigators examined the scene and identified his fingerprints on the window.
They located him and arrested him in Newark later that week on suspicion of burglary and theft.
Detective Constable Andrew Shortland led the investigation. He said: “This must have been a terrifying experience to wake up to see an intruder steal your property late at night.
“It was a hot Bank Holiday and the family were all asleep. They left one window slightly open to ensure a breeze in the heat.
“The offender has been disturbed by the resident who heard the car keys being stolen. They then saw the him run away from the scene, before calling police.
“The woman who lives there still struggles with sleeping following the offence in fear of the offender returning. Hopefully this sentence will give her closure that he is now behind bars.
“It’s a despicable act to invade someone’s home, especially in this case whilst the victims slept and take their personal belongings.
“The force’s burglary team worked quickly to establish who was behind this crime and I’m glad he has now been held to account for it.”
