Man who stole life savings jailed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8406252.stm

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A burglar who stole a woman's £14,000 life-savings from her north Belfast home has been jailed.

Michael Murphy, 20, of no fixed abode, admitted aggravated burglary.

Belfast Crown Court heard he was part of a four-man gang who burst into the Robina Street home of a 57-year-old woman and her 62-year-old brother.

Jailing him, Judge Geoffrey Miller QC told Murphy he would spend two years in custody and three years on licence.

The court heard Murphy had been released from an English detention centre three months before the 8 April robbery, having served half of a two-year sentence for being part of a gang which ransacked an 80-year-old man's home in Exeter in January 2008.

Party

A prosecuting lawyer told the court that three men called at the brother and sister's house at about 2330 BST looking for a party but were told to go away.

He said that about 15 minutes later, four men brandishing iron bars burst in through their front door.

Three men ran upstairs to where the woman was, while the fourth held his hand over the man's mouth and threatened him to keep quiet.

As the woman was also being held down, her brother heard one of the burglar tell another: "Take your hand from her mouth - you're going to kill her."

The burglars left the room with a small vanity case where she kept her £14,000 life-savings as well as a small amount of jewellery.

He said a group of young people called the police after seeing the four running into the house.

When officers arrived at the scene, they were able to catch Murphy as he tried to run away.

Murphy's lawyer said he "has literally been left carrying the can" for the others who were involved more centrally than he was.

He said it was clear Murphy had not held either of the victims and had not made any violent threats.

The judge warned Murphy that upon his release from prison after two years, any breach of the three-year licence would result in him being sent back into custody.