Young thief jailed for 20 months

A teenage burglar has been locked up for 20 months after he travelled across the Pennines with others to burgle a house in Greetland. Jack Maguire, 18, was branded “thoroughly dishonest” by Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC after he highlighted the teenager’s criminal record which included previous attacks on homes. Bradford Crown Court heard how Maguire and a 15-yearold accomplice were caught red-handed by police officers who were alerted to the afternoon break-in at the home of an 82-year-old woman. Prosecutor Jeremy Lindsay said a neighbour had contacted the police after seeing two intruders forcing their way into the unoccupied house on Rochdale Road last month. Maguire, of Ruthin Road, Wrexham, tried to flee the scene by jumping from a porch roof, but Mr Lindsay said he was detained after a struggle with officers. The court heard that Maguirey had stolen more £400 in cash during the burglary and that was recovered from him. Mr Lindsay told Judge Durham Hall that the complainant was left feeling upset and shocked by the break-in at her home. The court heard that there had been a “messy search” of her bedroom and Judge Durham Hall said the incident would have caused the complainant significant psychological trauma. “Can you imagine the effect on her of having her home despoiled by the likes of you,” the judge told Maguire. Judge Durham Hall said the woman’s home had been “invaded” and her bedroom turned upside down by the intruders. The judge said Maguire and his friends had travelled to the area for no good reason and he was satisfied that there had been a degree of targeting. He said he had to give Maguire some credit for his early guilty plea even though he was caught red-handed. “The best I can do for you, and I feel I’m letting my community down, is a sentence of 20 months in a young offender institution,” the judge told Maguire. “If you come back into this area and commit burglaries you will go to prison for a very long time.”