LONE WOMAN ‘TERRIFIED’ AS 3 MEN SMASHED THEIR WAY INTO HER HOME
‘Tell your son he has messed with the wrong family’
THREE friends terrified a woman by breaking into her house late at night.
The victim was confronted by Ian Cotton, Ross Corbishley and Wayne Keeling and screamed down the phone to police.
Stoke-on-trent Crown Court heard that the men were having a curry together when Cotton received a phone call to say his two sons had been attacked.
They made their way to the scene and chased two younger men to a house, where the victim lived, and forced their way through the front door. The victim’s car was also damaged.
Magistrates heard it happened in Trent Vale on August 22 last year.
Prosecutor Emma Thompson said police had earlier been called to a disturbance, and found a man lying on the ground. The defendants were also in the area at the time.
Ms Thompson said: “Ten minutes later there was a 999 call made by the victim, a woman, who lives in Trent Valley Road. She stated that men were breaking into her property. She said her son had been injured. In her statement, she said it was just after midnight and she was at home alone.
“She heard a commotion outside then, a few minutes later, she heard an extremely loud bang on the front door and someone screaming, ‘Let me in’.”
The court heard it was her son’s friend, who had been chased by the defendants, at the door. She let him in before calling 999.
Ms Thompson said: “As she was making her way towards the front room, she was met by a white male. He said, ‘Tell your ******* son he’s messed with the wrong family’.
“Two other white males were with him. The victim said she was absolutely terrified and screaming down the phone to the police.”
CCTV showed the defendants chasing two men. Cotton could be seen damaging the victim’s car by kicking the bonnet and wing mirror, causing it to fall off.
Police later arrested 40-yearold Cotton. Corbishley, aged 38, and 47-year-old Keeling handed themselves in. All three pleaded guilty to affray. Corbishley, of Old Hall Drive, Newcastle, and Keeling, of Harpfield Road, Trent Vale, also admitted using violence to force entry.
Cotton, of Boma Road, Trentham, pleaded guilty to an additional charge of criminal damage relating to the victim’s car. Angela Trafford, mitigating, said: “Mr Cotton received a call informing him that his children had been assaulted.
“Like any parent would, he has gone to investigate and his friends went with him.
“There was no intention at this point to cause any kind of distress or disturbance.
“The first part of the incident was nothing to do with these three gentleman. All three gentleman were then assaulted themselves. At that point, they admit, they chased after two men and went into the property.”
Joanne Fox, chairwoman of the bench, said an immediate prison sentence was a possibility.
“This is utterly shocking,” she said. “This poor woman was in her own home, on her own at midnight when three men entered her property.”
The cases were adjourned until March 31 for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.