Bogus workman jailed for five years for targeting elderly

Samuel Davey stole cash and personal documents from the homes of his victims in Halesowen and Dudley – one of whom was 93, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday.

The 25-year-old, of Snowdon Grove, Halesowen, had posed as a window cleaner and told another victim he was fixing a fence next door before stealing money in two separate distraction burglaries.

But police tracked him down after his DNA was found on towels and a pen at their properties.

Mr Nicholas Burn, prosecuting, said Davey had appeared inside the home of a 93-year-old in Stourbridge Road, Halesowen, on April 24 and told her he was fixing a fence for a next door neighbour.

After he left, she realised he had taken her handbag containing around £40 in cash.

Mr Burn said he had targeted the home of an 85-year-old woman in Alma Street, Halesowen, less than a month before.

He said the woman had answered the door to Davey, who had asked if she wanted her windows cleaning.

Mr Burn said Davey claimed he needed to come into the house to measure up the windows and was allowed inside.

The court heard that he took out a tape measure and asked for a hot drink and to borrow a blue pen.

Mr Burn said: "While the tea was being made there were occasions the defendant was not kept under observation.

"Later on, it became obvious property had been stolen."

She discovered that her purse had been taken from her handbag, which contained her bus pass and around £70 in cash.

Mr Burn said Davey had used 'trickery' and posed as a workman to steal from both properties.

The court heard that he had also ransacked the home of a 62-year-old in Ranscombe Drive, Lower Gornal, last November while she had been out, stealing her passport, birth certificate, medication, mobile phone and headphones.

Mr Burn said a rear window had been smashed and the security chain had been put on the front door.

Davey's DNA was found on towels at two of the properties and on the pen lent to him by one of the victim's, which he had chewed.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary.

In mitigation, Ms Amanda Tomkins said he had been a drug user for around five years.

She said for a number of months he had spent £60 a day on heroin.

Handing Davey a five-year prison sentence, Judge Michael Challinor told him he had targeted elderly people 'deliberately' and 'systematically'.

He told him: "The elderly are always very traumatised by burglary. They feel vulnerable in their homes. The impact upon them is very significant."