Woman caught burglars ransacking home live on phone while on holiday

05/04/2020

Burglars are jailed for total of three years after businesswoman caught them ransacking her five-bedroom cottage live on her mobile phone while on holiday after installing cameras

Businesswoman with CCTV around her home captured burglars ransacking it
Company director Anne Ripley, 53, had been on a trip to an undisclosed location
The burglary triggered an alarm on her device which brought up live footage
Kaylen Perry and Sam Taylor, both 20, of Rochdale, were arrested 11 days later

A businesswoman with CCTV around her home captured burglars ransacking her property live on her mobile phone while she was on holiday.

Company director Anne Ripley, 53, had been on a trip to an undisclosed location when the burglary triggered an alarm on her device which brought up footage of the midnight incident taking place.

Mrs Ripley, who runs an online retail firm from her £450,000 five bedroomed cottage in Bamford, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, could only look on aghast as Kaylen Perry and Sam Taylor, both 20, trashed her home.

It is not known whether she managed to alert police as the raid was actually taking place but when she passed on the footage, officers immediately recognised Perry and Taylor as both were already career criminals who had recently been freed early from jail.

The pair, who with an accomplice looted around £4,500 worth of items, were arrested 11 days later during a struggle with officers. Perry was jailed for 16 months at Minshull Street Crown Court, while Taylor was sentenced to two years in prison.

A businesswoman with CCTV around her home captured burglars ransacking her property live on her mobile phone while she was on holiday. Pictured left to right: Burglars Kaylen Perry and Sam Taylor

It emerged Perry and Taylor had been wearing disguises when they broke in due to CCTV cameras around the exterior of the house but then removed them once inside – not realising interior cameras were also in operation.

The two burglars and an accomplice looted around £4,500 worth of items including a handbag and cash in a tin after forcing a patio door open by smashing the glass.

Perry, from Rochdale, had various previous convictions including burglary and in November 2018 was locked up for three years for assisting an offender after he dumped a knife used in the murder of a man.

Taylor, of Rochdale, also had previous convictions for burglary plus car thefts and was jailed 36 months in 2018 for for a dwelling burglary in June 2018. Both men were freed early from jail last year.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester Perry admitted burglary and was jailed for 16 months.

Company director Anne Ripley, 53, had been on a trip to an undisclosed location when the burglary triggered an alarm on her device which brought up footage of the midnight incident taking place. Pictured: Burglar Kaylen Perry

Taylor also admitted burglary and unrelated offences of attempted burglary, being carried in a stolen vehicle and possessing cannabis and was jailed for two years. A third man seen on the footage was not identified.

Prosecutor Miss Lisa Boocock said: ‘Both defendants entered guilty pleas before magistrates at the earliest opportunity.

‘On 8 March Anne Ripley, who has been burgled before and has CCTV, was away from her home in Bamford because she was on holiday.

‘At 1.45am she was alerted by the system and the alarm was activated, and saw video footage on her mobile phone. It shows the two defendants and another man running from the living room to the upstairs of the property.

‘They took around £4,500 worth of items including a handbag and cash. Police officers later recognised the defendants as they were showing their faces and didn’t realise there was an internal camera.

It is not known whether she managed to alert police as the raid was actually taking place but when she passed on the footage, officers immediately recognised Perry and Taylor (pictured) as both were already career criminals who had recently been freed early from jail

‘They were arrested on 19 March after a struggle with police. Taylor admitted causing damage and stealing items while Perry did not respond to questions.

‘There was significant damage to the dwelling and there must have been some planning involved. They tried to disguise themselves outside the property and went equipped to burgle. ‘

In mitigation defence counsel David Bruce, for Taylor, said: ‘The defendant’s father died when he was 14. He had two brothers and one sister and his brother was seriously ill for a long time and sadly died in 2018.

‘At that stage the defendant was in care and they tried to get him counselling but it was not forthcoming. He fell out with his mother over his continuing cannabis use and he was living rough at the time of the offending. He is still a young man and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.’

Michael Johnson, representing Perry, said: ‘There is nothing I can easily say in mitigation including personal mitigation. His childhood was difficult and he witnessed a number of domestic violence incidents. He is an immature young man who needs rehabilitation.’

But sentencing Judge John Potter told Perry and Taylor: ‘Your actions show you are not good members of our community and contribute little if anything to the communities in which you live.

‘You must take responsibility for what you have done. It is not the fault of anybody else that you invaded a woman’s home and stole her handbag and money and you must accept the consequences.

‘If you continue in this way you will both spend longer and longer in prison, locked up in your cells in Forest Bank having to deal with the consequences of your actions. It is your choice whether you take responsibility and engage with rehabilitation after your release.’

Mrs Ripley who regularly campaigns to save greenbelt land in her village from property developers was contacted for comment.

Source: Read Full Article