A man broke into his ex-partner's home, watched her mother sleep, then stole her four-year-old son's clothes. The mum described feeling "physically sick and violated" over Roy O'Neil's actions, a court heard.
Her mother made a noise that caused O'Neil to scarper after she woke up to discover him "standing over her". She was told it "must just have been a bad dream" — but Ring doorbell camera footage proved that O'Neil had entered the property.
Two-hour spree across Moreton streets
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday (August 20) that O'Neil drunkenly broke into the home during a spree of five attempted and successful burglaries over a two-hour period. He also stole Pandora jewellery worth thousands of pounds, including an irreplaceable charm which had been given by the woman's late grandma, the Liverpool Echo reports.
O'Neil first attempted to break into three homes on Town Meadow Lane in Moreton, Wirral, at around 3am on May 30 this year. One woman, who was still awake at the time, found the 27-year-old standing in her front porch but was able to scare him away by banging on the door.
In a statement read to the court on her behalf, 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. I'm constantly looking around and suspicious of everyone. I now have the blinds shut constantly. He got into my porch, but what if he had gotten into my house? Nobody has the right to break into somebody's house like that. I can't help wondering why he did it and what he was looking for. I've been constantly worrying about whether he might come back."
Victims describe lasting fear and anxiety
Matthew Dixon, prosecuting, described how O'Neil, of School Close in Moreton, then walked to a neighbouring house where he similarly tried to gain access to the property, with the homeowner in this instance also having heard him attempting to unsuccessfully enter. The occupant of another house on the same street, who had been asleep at the time, woke later in the morning to find Ring doorbell camera footage of the defendant with his hood up and trying the front door of their address.
One of these victims, who is partially sighted, said in her own 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. On a good night, I only get around two to three hours of sleep. I'm very nervous when I hear noises, and they really frighten me. Even though I know they're probably caused by my cat, they still make me jump."
O'Neil then made his way to nearby Lingham Lane, where he again entered the porch of another house before walking away when he was unable to make his way any further inside. A dad who lived at this property was working away on the Isle of Man at the time and was also notified of the attempted break-in by his Ring doorbell, with his wife and child having been sleeping inside their home.
His statement read: "You don't expect this sort of thing to happen. I was away at the time and was helpless. Nobody has the right to invade another person's home. My wife is understandably nervous about being left alone at home. We are all much more security conscious and anxious about whether something like this could happen again."
Burglary of ex-partner's home and sentencing
Shortly before 5am, O'Neil then attended the address of his former partner on Pasture Crescent, where she lived with her four-year-old son and mum. This saw the latter wake to find him "standing over her, staring at her" in her bedroom before a "noise of fright" which she made caused him to flee.
Her daughter initially told the nan that "it must just have been a bad dream", although she subsequently saw CCTV footage of O'Neil attempting to break into the other houses on community Facebook pages, at which stage she noticed that her mother's £200 Radley handbag and its contents, two of her own Pandora bracelets and charms, valued at around £2,000, and a number of items of clothing were all missing. This included clothes belonging to her young child.
The jewellery had been originally gifted to her by her mum on her 18th birthday and contained a charm given to her by her late grandma, with these items having never been recovered. She added in her statement: "Since this incident, I feel completely unsafe and disgusted, because Roy has come into my home where I live with my mum and baby. This is somewhere where I'm meant to feel safest in the world, but I no longer feel this way. I keep replaying everything in my mind and asking myself why. I feel like I have to constantly look over my shoulder and have a sense of fear when I see a man in a hoodie or with a beard because of him."
Of her son's clothes having been 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. This feels like he's stolen all the happiness from my life. I don't want to move home, but I'm worried, if I stay, Roy will return. I'm so fearful that he will hurt me or my family."
O'Neil was arrested on May 31 as a result, with the stolen handbag and clothing being found in his bedroom. 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. His antecedent record has nothing of a similar nature. He has never been to custody before. He has had a taste of what a custodial sentence may be. He can be responsible. He has been subject to very stringent bail conditions, one of which was an electronically monitored curfew."
O'Neil admitted burglary and four counts of attempted burglary. Wearing a blue Nike t-shirt in the dock, he was jailed for three years and handed a restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex-girlfriend and her mum 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. Footage shows you with your hood up, moving around in the dead of night, seeking to enter people's properties. People were hard working or away at the time, and you were seeking to take from them."
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. It was only when she later saw Ring doorbell footage that she recognised that, of all people, it was you. She indicates that she feels completely unsafe now and disgusted because you came into her home. This should be her safe haven. You have taken this away from her now. You have caused her a substantial emotional impact, as you have with all of your victims. You are remorseful. I accept that. I also accept that you have not been before the court for some time."
