Bollington burglar jailed

A Bollington burglar who targeted a pensioner’s home has been jailed.

Simon Walmsley, of Elmsway, broke into the elderly victim’s property in Oak Lane, Kerridge, twice in six weeks, stealing a quantity of jewellery on both occasions.

The 56-year-old was caught as a result of the victim’s family having CCTV installed, following the first burglary on the night of Saturday 4 July.

When Walmsley broke into the property again on the night of Saturday 15 August, he was seen searching the victim’s bedroom as they slept, rummaging through their drawers and cupboards.

After the elderly couple woke, Walmsley fled, but identified by the CCTV cameras he was spotted by police a month later in a Bollington bus shelter.

During a search of his home items of jewellery stolen during the burglaries were recovered.

Walmsley pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and was jailed for four years.

Detective Sergeant Dave Jarvis, who led the investigation at Macclesfield Local Policing Unit’s burglary team, said: “Burglary is a serious crime in which victims are targeted in their own home, which is the place they should be able to feel most safe.

“What makes Simon Walmsley’s offending particular deplorable is the fact that he targeted the home of a vulnerable pensioner whilst they were inside it, on two separate occasions.

“After breaking into the property and stealing a quantity of jewellery as the victim slept, he did so again six weeks later. On the second occasion he woke the victim up whilst conducting an untidy search of their bedroom.

“Thankfully, the victim’s family had taken our advice by installing CCTV at the address and we were able to identify Walmsley as the offender from the resulting footage of the second burglary. He is now behind bars facing the consequences of his actions.

“I hope that the prison sentence imposed by the courts deters him and others from committing similar offences in the future and that it gives some closure to the victim and enables them to move forward with their life.”

Walmsley was also ordered to pay a £190 victim surcharge.