Duo burgled home while elderly couple were asleep
TWO burglars have been jailed after breaking into the home of an elderly couple and stealing cash.
Ashley Blower, 39, and Damien Evans, 31, were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court after pleading guilty to burglary and attempted burglary.
The court heard that the two men from Maesteg broke into the home of a couple called Mr and Mrs Dunphy, who are in their 80s, in Bridgend Road, Aberkenfig, in August.
Before the burglary Blower and Evans had tried to break into the Swan Inn public house in the same street but were unsuccessful.
CCTV footage was shown in the courtroom of the pair’s attempt to break in to the pub before they moved on to the Dunphys’ home at 12.30am.
The Dunphys were asleep in bed at the time of the burglary, having secured a side door which the defendants pushed through.
A pane of glass was removed from a window to the rear of the couple’s property with one of the defendants using a screwdriver.
A total of £150 was taken in the burglary as well as two Post Office cards which the victims used to collect their pension.
The defendants were able to leave the home without waking the occupants by unlocking the front door and leaving in Blower’s gold Vauxhall Astra.
Mr Dunphy, 83, discov- ered his home had been burgled when he woke in the morning.
A victim personal statement written by Mr Dunphy was read out in court by prosecutor Ian Kolvin.
Mr Kolvin said: “The incident has upset both him and his wife and has made them both nervous as well as suffering the inconvenience of contacting their insurance.
“£1,500 had to be paid for the repair of the win- dow through the insurance and Mr Dunphy has had to pay someone to secure his gate. The money which was taken was his birthday money.
“He said that the incident is beyond the comprehension of him and his wife.”
The court heard Blower and Evans, who both had previous convictions for burglaries, were both drug users which had led them to commit the offences.
Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Eleri Rees said: “Clearly that night was planned. You had driven there, there was two of you, and you were all tooled up with equipment to commit burglary.
“There were two elderly people in their beds. I can only imagine the distress they felt of finding out someone had been through their property.
“It’s not just a loss in fi- nancial terms but it affects the victims, their confidence, their independence, and ability to sleep at night.”
Blower, of Dyffryn Road, Maesteg, was sentenced to a total of three-and-a-half years in prison, including eight months for a previous suspended sentence.
Evans, of the Blaencaerau estate, Maesteg, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.