Three men have been sentenced after they burgled a woman’s Lake District home and stole her Louis Vuitton handbag and keys to a Porsche.
The householder was inside her Ambleside property watching television at around 2.15am on January 23 2024 when she heard a door rattling.
A back door which had been locked was ajar and kitchen cupboards were open.
The £2,800 designer handbag and two sets of keys to a £60,000 Porsche Cayenne had been taken.
Carlisle Crown Court heard today that the woman went outside and saw two men in hooded tops running away. She followed and watched as a small grey car pulled up behind them.
The woman called police who, using information they had received and automatic numberplate recognition camera footage, traced a Volkswagen Golf to Bowness.
It had false number plates and contained a number of items including an angle grinder, multi-key, gloves, face coverings, a knife and mobile phones.
Inside the vehicle were passengers Corey Glover, Taylor Bascombe, both now 22; and 35-year-old Ben Baines.
The woman’s handbag — containing bank cards and a driving licence — was found alongside the A591 near Ambleside.
A member of the public found a set of car keys and handed them in to police. The other set was never found.
When brought to court the three men initially denied burglary, but all later changed their pleas to guilty.
As they were sentenced this afternoon, a statement from the householder was read in court.
The woman spoke of having relocated to Ambleside from the West Midlands and initially feeling safe having previously lived on alert.
She said: “That all changed in the early hours of January 23 2024.
“I know crime can happen anywhere but l had stopped thinking about it, so when it happened to me it was a massive shock.
“For a couple of days after the burglary l think adrenaline took over then l came crashing down to earth.”
The woman moved away but had since returned to the Lakes.
She said: “l will live where l choose and drive what car l choose. I refuse to see myself as a victim to these people.
“l think city criminals think areas like Ambleside are easy pickings. But what they don’t factor in is, unlike a city, not a lot happens so when you call 999 the police arrive within minutes.”
Sentencing judge Recorder Julian Shaw, told the three men they had committed an outrageous burglary.
Baines, of Station Road, Haydock; and Glover, of Charterhouse Road, Ince, Wigan, had 20-month jail terms suspended for two years.
Bascombe, of Winchester Road, also Ince, had an 18-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months.
All three men — who were said by barristers to have shown remorse — must complete rehabilitation requirements and unpaid work.
- A fourth man who also admitted burglary failed to attend the court sentencing hearing today.
