Baseball bat thugs jailed for brutal raid
TWO thugs who threatened a man with baseball bats before attacking him with spray and stealing from his home have been jailed.
Lee Prendergast and Damien Wilkinson, from Manchester, along with a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, carried out the brutal burglary on June 11.
The 27-year-old victim was sprayed with incapacitant spray after the burglars kicked down the door of his house in Buxton.
Officers from Derbyshire Police attended the scene and managed to track the trio down to a nearby address.
They were arrested as they tried to escape and later pleaded guilty to the offence. Prendergast, 19, of Staplehurst Road, Newton Heath, and Wilkinson, 20, of Old Road, Blackley, were each handed fourand-a-half-years in prison at a hearing at Derby Crown Court.
The 17-year-old, also from Manchester, was given a 36-month youth rehabilitation order, a ninemonth curfew, and must complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
Det Con Terry Davies, who led the investigation, said: “I hope the sentences Prendergast and Wilkinson have been handed are a real warning to anyone thinking of following in their footsteps.
“As a force we are clear that this type of violence will not be tolerated in our county and we will pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.
“To have the likes of Prendergast and Wilkinson off the streets is hugely positive for the community and I would like to thank them for their help in providing invaluable information that helped bring about this prosecution.”