Burglar steals festive gifts
A BURGLAR who stole Christmas presents and irreplaceable family heirlooms has been jailed for four years and six months.
Cocaine-user Antony Cameron, 38, even “ransacked” a baby boy’s bedroom as he searched for items he could sell to buy his drugs, a court heard.
Although the presents and some other property were later recovered, Bradford Crown Court heard that pocket watches with huge sentimental value had still not been found.
Cameron, who had served long prison sentences before for house burglary, was still on licence when he broke into the couple’s home in Station Road, Queensbury, just four days before Christmas last year.
The parents and their young son were away at the time, but they were alerted to the breakin by an alarm company.
Prosecutor Frances Pencheon said Cameron had stolen Christmas presents, electrical items and the watches, but he left his blood in the master bedroom.
Cameron, of Weyhill Drive, Bradford, initially denied being involved in the burglary but after his case was listed for a trial next month he changed his plea to guilty.
Solicitor advocate John Bottomley, for Cameron, said his client had written a letter of apology to his victims and had also made efforts to help the police recover the watches.
Judge Jonathan Rose said the appropriate prison sentence for the burglary for someone with Cameron’s previous record was six years, but by law he had to reduce the term because of his guilty plea.
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