A MAN from Bangor who committed burglary at two addresses in Menai Bridge – including the home of a 90-year-old woman – has been jailed.
Gareth Edwards, of Penrhyn Avenue, was sentenced to 876 days (roughly 27 months) in prison at Caernarfon Crown Court today (January 18).
He had previously pleaded to guilty to the two counts of burglary, which took place on October 5, 2022 on St George’s Road and New Street.
Prosecuting, Brian Treadwell told the court of how closed-circuit television (CCTV) identified Edwards, who committed the two burglaries within roughly 15 minutes of each other.
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At 6.46pm, a 90-year-old woman contacted police to report that Edwards was banging on her windows.
He later found an insecure door to enable him to gain access to her property, so the woman called her neighbours saying: “There’s a man in my house”.
When the neighbours asked him to leave, Edwards said she’d attacked him, to which they told him: “Don’t be ridiculous, she’s 90 years old”.
Police attended at 7.10pm, and Edwards, who officers described as “clearly intoxicated”, was arrested, before refusing to supply his details in custody.
A curfew imposed on Edwards was in effect at the time, requiring him to be present at his home address from 7pm.
A victim statement said: “I have lived in rough areas before, but this is the first time something like this has happened to me.”
They added that it has “definitely affected how I perceive the area,” and that the incident has made them feel unsafe and triggered nightmares.
The couple now take “extra precautions,” and the incident was said to have affected their “home and workplace environment”, and “how much we can relax when we go away, even for a few days”.
The victim statement added that Edwards had “no right to do this to us, and leave us feeling like this”.
Edwards had 27 previous convictions for 60 offences, including multiple matters related to burglary and theft.
Defending, Richard Edwards conceded that a custodial setting was “perhaps the best place” for the defendant currently, but appealed for a concurrent sentence to be imposed.
He added that Edwards has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder, but has not yet had access to any form of mental health services or medication while in custody.
He said: “Clearly, the defendant has a poor record driven by drug addiction.
“His response to supervision confirms he is struggling to overcome drug addiction, despite the DRR (drug testing and rehabilitation requirements) he has been made subject to. He himself knows that.
“He also has concerns regarding his own mental health, and appears to have been self-medicating with controlled drugs.
“His next goal is to sort out his mental health issues, and be free of drugs.”
Sentencing, Judge Niclas Parry also imposed a surcharge of £228 on Edwards, to be paid within three months of his release from prison.
The community order he had previously been subject to was revoked.
Parry told him: “Out of your mind with either drink or drugs, you entered the home of two women.
“One was 90. It would have been terrifying for them.”
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