Teenage intruder 'violated' family home

Burgled Burghfield family ‘feel sick’ and children ‘won’t stay in house alone’

A BURGLAR left a family feeling violated and physically sick after stealing their belongings and leaving stains in a bed.

But the youth, who is just weeks away from his 18th birthday, was nearly not prosecuted at all. This was because West Berkshire Council’s Youth Offending Team recommended cautioning him instead.

Newbury MP Richard Benyon has previously expressed concern about the overuse of cautions for serious offences.

In this instance, however, the YOT was overruled by the Crown Prosecution Service and Newbury magistrates told the teenager he was lucky not to have been sent into custody.

Helen Gambrill, prosecuting, told how the victims left their home in Stones Walk, Burghfield Common, for a weekend away and were horrified by what they found upon their return.

A £600 games console, £180 in cash, some foreign currency, computer games and 800 cigarettes were missing and, Ms Gambrill said, “there was a white mark on the bed sheets suggesting someone had been sleeping there”.

In a victim impact statement, the mother of the family said: “It made me feel sick; I’ve gone from crying to angry.

“My children won’t stay in the house alone.

“It’s one of the worst feelings in the world and it will take us a long time to get over it.”

The court heard the youth, who can not be identified for legal reasons, also let others into the home to help themselves while the family was away.

The 17-year-old admitted committing burglary and theft on August 10.

David Crayford, defending, said: “The police seem to think he wasn’t showing remorse.

“He just didn’t realise how serious this was, he wasn’t trying to make light of it.

“The YOT says he has been doing very well, and suggested this case was appropriate for a conditional caution, but the CPS and police didn’t agree, and here we are.”

None of the stolen goods have been recovered, said Ms Gambrill, but Mr Crayford added: “He has no means with which to pay compensation.”

Magistrates asked the youth why he had burgled the home and he replied: “I needed money and didn’t know what else to do.”

Asked how the family would have felt, the youth admitted: “Probably violated.”

Asked if he knew where the games console was, the youth shook his head.

Warning him that he would have been facing prison time if he had been an adult, magistrates made the 17-year-old subject to a 12-month referral order.

He was ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge but no compensation because of his lack of money.