A mother has described feeling "physically sick and violated" after her ex-partner broke into her home, watched her mother sleeping, and stole items including her four-year-old son's clothes and Pandora jewellery worth thousands of pounds.
Roy O'Neil, 27, of School Close in Moreton, Wirral, carried out a spree of five attempted and successful burglaries over approximately two hours in the early hours of May 30 this year. The incidents were captured on Ring doorbell camera footage later posted to Facebook.
Burglary spree across Moreton
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday that O'Neil first attempted to break into three homes on Town Meadow Lane in Moreton at around 3am. One woman who was awake found him standing in her front porch and scared him away by banging on the door.
In a statement read to the court, she said: "I've been left feeling more vulnerable than I've ever felt. I've been living in my address for eight years and never had anyone trying to intrude on my property."
Matthew Dixon, prosecuting, described how O'Neil then went to a neighbouring house where he also tried to gain entry. The occupant of another house on the same street, who had been asleep, later found Ring doorbell footage of the defendant with his hood up trying the front door.
One partially sighted victim said in her statement: "I've become much more nervous, especially at night. I often get out of bed during the night to check the doors are secure, which I never used to do."
Ex-partner's home targeted
Shortly before 5am, O'Neil attended the address of his former partner on Pasture Crescent, where she lived with her four-year-old son and mother. The mother woke to find him "standing over her, staring at her" in her bedroom before a noise of fright caused him to flee.
Her daughter initially told the nan that "it must just have been a bad dream", but later saw CCTV footage of O'Neil attempting to break into other houses on community Facebook pages. She then noticed that her mother's £200 Radley handbag, two of her own Pandora bracelets and charms valued at around £2,000, and a number of items of clothing, including her son's clothes, were missing.
The jewellery had been gifted to her by her mum on her 18th birthday and contained a charm given to her by her late grandmother. These items have never been recovered.
In her statement, she said: "Since this incident, I feel completely unsafe and disgusted, because Roy has come into my home where I live with my mum and baby."
Of her son's clothes being taken, she said: "This has made me feel physically sick and violated. I'm finding it hard to put into words all the emotions I'm feeling. This has had a devastating impact on me and my family."
Sentence and restraining order
O'Neil was arrested on May 31, with the stolen handbag and clothing found in his bedroom. He admitted burglary and four counts of attempted burglary.
Anna Duke, defending, told the court: "In the cold and sober light of day, he realised what he had done in relation to all of these particular victims, more particularly in relation to the lead offence in Pasture Crescent."
O'Neil was jailed for three years and handed a restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex-girlfriend and her mother for 10 years.
Sentencing, Judge Ian Unsworth KC said: "These offences relate to an early morning attempted burglary and burglary spree on streets in Moreton. You targeted three different roads, three properties on Town Meadow Lane, one on Lingham Lane and, finally, a successful burglary at a property you know all too well at Pasture Crescent."
Of the burglary at his former partner's home, Judge Unsworth added: "You must have known that she was living there at the time with her four-year-old son and mother. It appears that she did not know it was you at the time. There was a hooded man standing over her, staring at her. She must have been utterly terrified."
