A burglar has been jailed after a family’s Workington home was broken into as they slept with a teenager being confronted by a masked intruder.
Carlisle Crown Court heard the husband and wife were in bed upstairs during the early hours of February 13, as were their two sons in a separate room.
Their 17-year-old daughter, based downstairs in the property, was awoken by first a loud bang and then crashing. CCTV later showed two men had picked up a large rock and thrown it twice at the front window, smashing it on the second go.
They entered, stole the sons’ two identical mountain bikes and left. But of the intervening period, prosecutor Andrew Evans said: “(The daughter) had a confrontation with one of the burglars. She got out of bed, went to investigate and was met with a tall, masked intruder. She screamed and ran upstairs to her father.”
Family members were roused and went downstairs but the burglars had fled.
When the CCTV was examined, a police officer recognised heavily-convicted 35-year-old Eddie Coid as one of the men responsible. They went to an address linked to him, found him asleep and recovered the two stolen bikes from a yard.
When arrested and interviewed, Coid made no comment other than to deny it was him on the footage. However, he pleaded guilty to burglary during an initial magistrates’ court hearing.
No impact statement had been provided by the family.
As Coid was sentenced today (fri), defence barrister Kim Whittlestone said he understood he would receive a prison sentence and added that he was seeking to address substance misuse in prison.
Jailing Coid, of Harrington Road, Workington, for 20 months, Judge David Potter said: “It is every person’s nightmare to be confronted at night in their home by a masked intruder,” said Judge Potter.
“Whilst I have no victim personal statement, the immediate reaction of (the daughter) in screaming and running upstairs demonstrates to this court the shock and fright which would have had a significant impact on her at the time and for a significant time after that.”
