A burglar ranted “I’ve been set up” and branded his victim a “rat” as he was jailed. Cameron Ward repeatedly harassed his vulnerable victim before kicking his door down and breaking into his flat.
The incident came only weeks after the then teenager had been handed a suspended sentence by a judge. But he has now been put behind bars for his “mean” crime, leaving one supporter in tears and him furiously protesting his sentence.
Court hears of victim's vulnerability
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Friday, August 21, that the complainant, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, suffered from serious medical and mental health issues and lived at a block of flats on Newsham Drive in Tuebrook which catered for the homeless and former prison inmates. He had lived at the address from April last year onwards and knew Ward as “someone who hung around the property”.
Simon Leong, prosecuting, described how the victim even lent the now 20-year-old defendant, of Sharples Crescent in Crosby, on one occasion, but he responded by “targeting him because he was vulnerable”. This saw him attend the property on May 28 2025 and force the communal front door open before knocking at his apartment, thereafter asking another resident “seen these with a PlayStation or a speaker?” when he received no response.
Break-in and theft
Ward then returned shortly before midday on May 30 wearing a balaclava. He was shown on CCTV looking through windows in the property before leaving and returning once more around an hour later, when he again forced entry through the communal doors before kicking in the front door of the complainant’s flat.
Once inside, Ward then stole the man’s prison ID card and birth certificate during an “untidy search”. He subsequently returned again the following day, only to find that the victim had been “moved for his own safety”.
In a statement which was read to the court on his behalf, the complainant said: “I’ve become more paranoid and aware of my surroundings and people. I keep my wits about me. I feel like I was helping someone financially, and they’ve taken advantage of my kind nature. I feel like I can’t trust people like I used to.”
Sentencing and reaction
Ward was said to have caused a total of £6,950 of damage during his break-in, including leaving the flat door “damaged beyond repair”. He subsequently handed himself in to police on July 16.
His criminal record show a total of nine previous convictions for 17 offences, including receiving a youth referral order for robbery in 2023 and a suspended 28-day imprisonment in April 2025 for a public order matter. He was also handed a three-year community order for possession of a class B drug with intent to supply in July last year.
Jason Smith, defending, told the court: “The victim was vulnerable, and it would have been clear to the defendant that there was degree of vulnerability. There are three primary mitigation points. Firstly, his age. He was 19 years of age at the time of the offending.”
“His record prior to this offending was diabolical, serious offending, repeated offending. This offending took place in the summer of 2025. There has been no offending since. There has been a remarkable reduction in the criminal offending of this defendant since.”
“It is perhaps remarkable that he was not charged immediately. He was recognised and handed himself into a police station in July last year. It took until July this year, in effect, to come before the courts. It is a period of time where he has demonstrated some positive features. It is clear that there are still some issues.”
“The third matter, he had the courage to plead guilty. He did not mess around. In my submission, it leads us to this position. The court can perhaps stand back and look at the overall picture, the delay, the age, the cooperation and the assistance provided to him by the Probation Service thus far.”
Ward admitted burglary and criminal damage. Wearing a North Face coat in the dock, he was locked up for two years and had his 28-day suspended sentence activated.
Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: “This was a mean offence, because, of course, the target of the offence was someone who you were aware was very vulnerable for a number of reasons. You were repeatedly going to those premises, forcing entry and then going about the premises with impunity and causing a substantial amount of damage, very nearly £7,000.”
“Those offences cannot be seen in utter isolation. There are a number of other previous convictions on your record. The commission of these two offences happened during the operational period of two suspended sentences. One had only just been imposed. That is very much an aggravating factor of your position.”
A woman in the public gallery burst into tears as Ward learned his sentence, while he ranted: “I’ve been set up. He literally robbed my house. Rats, honestly.”
