BOXER HAS BURGLAR ON THE ROPES
HAPLESS THIEF CHASED THROUGH GARDENS BY PROFESSIONAL FIGHTER AFTER ATTEMPTING TO BREAK INTO HIS FAMILY’S HOME
A PROLIFIC burglar got more than he bargained for when he tried to break into the house of a professional boxer.
David Large, 34, was arrested after he woke 6ft 3in tall Craig Kennedy, who chased him across the garden in his boxer shorts before detaining him and calling the police.
Speaking shortly after the incident, Mr Kennedy said: “He was standing there white as a ghost. I don’t think he had signed up for this.”
Large, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary.
Cardiff Crown Court heard the incident occurred in the early hours of July 9 in the Trowbridge area of Cardiff.
Mr Kennedy was at home when he realised someone was trying to break in.
The 32-year-old said his girlfriend and their six-month-old son were woken by noises outside at about 5.30am.
He said: “She realised we were being burgled and woke me up. It’s lucky that she is a light sleeper, otherwise he would have been able to take anything from under my nose.”
Mr Kennedy said he went into “family protection mode”, adding: “My family were in the house and my dog was downstairs.”
Mr Kennedy went downstairs in his boxer shorts and saw the burglar standing outside.
“As I went into the kitchen, I could see a white male with a towel against the kitchen window and a hammer to try and put through the double glazing,” he said.
“How he expected to do that quietly I don’t know.”
Mr Kennedy saw the man run off and gave chase, shouting to his girlfriend to stay in the bedroom and lock the door.
He added: “My girlfriend could see me chasing him from the bedroom window.
“He jumped over a seven foot wall with nails sticking out of the top. I was still in family protection mode, so I jumped over it as well.
“My girlfriend said I cleared the wall completely, which was lucky because I was still in my boxers and could have opened myself up on the nails.”
Mr Kennedy said he chased the burglar through neighbours’ back gardens, getting stung by nettles as he went.
Large ran into a neighbour’s house and tried to lock the door, but Mr Kennedy managed to follow him in just in time.
The Welsh cruiserweight boxer said: “He came towards me and it looked like he was going for his pocket, so I got him in a sleeper hold. I was wrapped round him like an anaconda.
“The house is open-plan and it was then I saw the neighbour there shaking. I asked them to call the police and go and check my girlfriend was okay.
“I said I was not letting him go until the police had got there – he could have had a weapon.”
Large was arrested and found to have a black bag containing cash and tobacco stolen during a burglary earlier that night.
John Warren, prosecuting, said the first burglary occurred in the early hours of July 9 on Heol Newydd.
The court heard the victim woke up at about 7.30am to find the door to her garden shed open.
Prosecutors said Large used a spade to prize open the kitchen window and force entry, causing
about £100 worth of damage.
Large took a handbag containing cash and keys, as well as tobacco and a can of Coke from the fridge.
The court heard he then went to Mr Kennedy’s home where he prized the handle off a door and rummaged through a shed, leaving items strewn across the garden.
Large was interviewed and told officers that the property on Heol Newydd belonged to a friend.
He had gloves, and prosecutors argued he went to the scene equipped for burglary.
Mr Warren said Large had been before the courts for 84 previous offences, including 27 for theft and 10 burglaries.
David Rees, defending, said Large had battled drug addiction for many years and suggested he had shown remorse through his guilty pleas.
Large was jailed for three years and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
Mr Kennedy said he would never want to encourage anyone else to follow his example.
“In hindsight, these were not the best decisions of my life. It ended okay, but he could have had a weapon,” he said.
“It was instinct – he was putting my family at risk. I think the boxing helped because it helps you stay calm and teaches you discipline.
“I would never encourage anyone to do this themselves.”