BURGLARS LEAVE OAP SCARED IN HER HOME

40-year-old and accomplice broke into garage at night

AN 83-year-old woman has been left frightened in her own home after two men tried to burgle her garage.

Forty-year-old Carl Bickerton and an unknown accomplice woke the pensioner after they used force to bend back her garage door.

But they fled empty-handed, and Bickerton was arrested after his DNA was found on the inside of the garage door.

Now he has been handed an 18 month community order at Stoke-on-trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Rachel Pennington said an 83-year-old woman was in bed at her bungalow in Burslem, when she was woken by a noise at 11.40pm on March 5 last year.

Miss Pennington said: “She saw two figures crawling from the garage to the gate.

“She believes they were trying to prevent the activation of a security light.

“She was extremely scared and called the police.

“She saw the garage door had been bent back enough to allow entry to the garage. No items were stolen.”

Police arrived at 11.55pm and the driveway gates were shut. Forensics attended at 11.05am the next day and Bickerton’s DNA was found inside the bent garage door.

In a victim statement, the pensioner said she is constantly wondering if someone will return.

Bickerton, of Gordon Street, Burslem, pleaded guilty to attempted burglary.

The court was told his last conviction was in 2010 for shoplifting.

Jason Holt, mitigating, said: “He has been out of trouble for 10 years. He says he is disgusted with his behaviour. He is remorseful.

“He was drinking heavily at the time. He is no longer using cocaine. He is very much on track to deal with the problems he has.”

As part of the community order, Bickerton must complete a rehabilitation activity requirement for 20 days and a four month electronicallymonitored curfew from 10pm to 5am.

Judge Paul Glenn said: “You and another person attempted to burgle a detached garage at a bungalow. You woke the elderly owner up at 11.40pm.

“She was scared and she has been left feeling scared and worried. Damage was caused by the door being bent back to facilitate entry.

“I accept you are remorseful. At the material time you were abusing drink and cocaine.

“This was not an address you simply stumbled upon. At the time, no doubt, you were looking for something to sell to raise money for drink or drugs.

“There is no evidence at all that you knew the victim was elderly.

“You claim you are now drug-free as far as cocaine is concerned, but admit cannabis use.”

Bickerton was ordered to pay his victim £500 compensation and £250 costs.