A burglar who raided the Carlisle home of a family with a newborn baby during a night-time spree days before Christmas has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
John Lowe, 44, wore a COVID-style face mask as he targeted a host of houses in the same Parklands village area, close to Garlands, during the early hours of December 20.
Lowe trampled on baby grows after sneaking into one address occupied by a sleeping couple with a newborn child and a four-year-old son, Carlisle Crown Court heard today.
An iPad was pinched from the boy’s school bag as Lowe entered rooms and also rifled through drawers. His £1,200 loot also included gift cards, sunglasses, cash, a quantity of make-up and the handbag of the female occupant which had contained paperwork relating to her father’s cancer treatment.
“There is no worse feeling than knowing a stranger has been in your home when you are upstairs asleep with a newborn baby and a four-year-old son,” said the NHS worker, who spoke of suffering nightmares since the incident. The family had to cancel a holiday in the aftermath because money was needed to install a new security system.
Lowe also burgled the home of an occupational health therapist living with her two children who was left feeling “angry”, and had since trained her dog to be near the front door.
In addition, Lowe raided the house of a couple and was heard running away, and tried to burgle three other properties, causing the occupants of all to speak of their upset and distress, and how they had since beefed up their home security.
One had stated: “I hope the man understands the impact of his actions and how vulnerable he has left me feeling.”
Lowe, a crook with 13 previous sets of burglary offences on his record, was caught in the act on several CCTV systems, and identified by his distinctive clothing and footwear after he had set off from his Hartington Street home in the city on the criminal expedition. He admitted three burglary charges and two attempted burglaries.
His barrister, Kim Whittlestone, said he had “little recollection” of the latest crimes, adding: “He apologises to those whose homes he burgled on that evening.”
Jailing Lowe, Judge Nicholas Barker said: “You were out and about on a determined spree of offending.”
Judge Barker added: “You are utterly insensitive to the plight of your victims. I will not allow you to terrorise the hard-working and decent citizens of Carlisle who expect their homes to be respected and kept safe.”
