Mum confronted ‘drugged’ burglar
A MUM OF THREE came face to face with a burglar who claimed he thought he was in a friend’s house.
Dana Jones confronted intruder Bruno James – who maintained he had been to the house for a party – and managed to get him out of her property before calling the police.
Cardiff Crown Court heard the victim said: “Get out of my house.” The burglar replied: “It’s Johnny’s house.”
Thomas Stanway, prosecuting, said the incident happened at Dan Y Graig Cottages in Bridgend on April 14 last year.
The court heard Ms Jones heard a voice and thought it was her son, then saw James at the top of the stairs. He was “incoherent” due to drug use.
She told him: “No, this is my house. Get out before I call the police.” James responded: “No, this is Johnny’s house. I was here at a party last week.”
Prosecutors said she opened the door and got him to leave. He walked down the path and into Cae Dre Street.
Ms Jones looked to see if anything had been taken and found her daughter’s laptop had been put into a Spar carrier bag. She reported the incident to the police.
In a victim personal statement she said she was worried to think what might have happened if her children had been at home, adding: “I was in shock. I started crying.”
She said she had only been living in the area for a few weeks and “never thought it would happen here”.
A quarter of an hour later, the court heard, Leah Richards’ boyfriend asked her: “Who’s sitting in your car?” Prosecutors said the car was parked in Park Street in Bridgend and James was rummaging through the glove box.
Ms Richards’ boyfriend and neighbour approached the defendant, who emptied his pockets, revealing cigarettes and change from the car amounting to £13.90.
The victim reported the matter to the police, who noted the description she provided matched the description from the burglary.
An officer went to the defendant’s home and noticed he appeared “nervous and agitated”. His clothes matched the physical descriptions.
James was arrested and did not reply when he was cautioned. In his interview he said he did not steal anything and thought the house was a friend’s and the car belonged to his aunt.
Prosecutors said he had 40 previous offences on his record including shoplifting. He was given a 12-month community order in September 2018 for theft and failing to surrender.
James, 36, from Glendower Close in Brackla, Bridgend, admitted burglary and theft from a vehicle in breach of a community order.
Robert Chudleigh, defending, told the court his client had no previous convictions for burglary. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was misusing substances.
The judge noted James had served the equivalent of a two-year prison sentence while on remand and jailed him for 15 months, meaning he will be released from custody.