Mother and son hid under bedsheet while burglar searched Wolverhampton home
“How do you tell a child they are safe to go to sleep when they know this might not be true?"
A mother who hid with her son under a bedsheet while their family home was burgled has spoken of the flashbacks she has suffered since the break-in.
The 29-year-old mother and her four-year-old son hid under the sheet after being woken by the sound of Wesley Crawford smashing a porch window at their Wolverhampton home in 2016.
The pair waited in fear as Crawford searched the house in Whitmore Reans - including the bedroom where the boy's sister was sleeping.
Now Crawford, aged 53, has been jailed for the burglary at Wolverhampton Crown Court, where the mother revealed the anguish the family has suffered since the burglary.
Fear, panic and shock
In a victim impact statement read in court, she said: "Every second was fear, panic and shock. I've struggled with flashbacks of the night ever since.
“When he (Crawford) entered the living room I hid under the covers with my son trying to call the police and praying that I could get help.
"I heard him go upstairs and into my daughter’s room; this is something that still makes my blood run cold.
“My instincts were to chase him upstairs and stop him, but I couldn’t as I didn’t know at this stage the police were on their way.
"I couldn’t leave my son. I had to know that help was coming in case he done anything to me, leaving my children totally helpless.
“We didn’t get physical injuries, but mentally we have been to hell and back.
"My son hasn’t been able to sleep, he won’t go into another room on his own day or night, he is terrified of strangers, he has nightmares and has anxiety and bedtime is difficult.
“How do you tell a child they are safe to go to sleep when they know this might not be true?
"They already know that someone can break in and strip every bit of security away."
Break-in
Crawford, from Tettenhall Road in Chapel Ash, smashed his way into the property on April 20, 2016.
The mother whispered into her phone as she dialled 999 for help while Crawford shone a torch into the lounge at around 4.55am.
Mother and son waited anxiously under the sheet as Crawford made his way upstairs, where the 10-year-old daughter slept, and shone his light into her bedroom.
The girl pretended to be asleep before Crawford fled empty handed.
Officers from West Midlands Police arrived shortly after the call and found a baseball cap at the scene which was tested for forensic analysis and revealed a DNA match with Crawford.
He was arrested on May 4 and charged with burglary, but he went on the run having been granted bail by Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Three years jail
A warrant was issued in February this year and he evaded capture until a West Midlands Police officer spotted him near Wolverhampton railway station on October 18.
On November 9, he was taken back to Wolverhampton Crown Court after admitting burglary and was jailed for three years.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Deb Blakeman said: "I’m pleased she feels the conviction will help with the healing process, knowing that we’ve caught the offender and put him behind bars.
“Her impact statement emphasises how traumatic an experience burglary can be for victims.
"It’s something that as police officers we should never lose sight of."
