By Burglar caught preying on elderly Scunthorpe couple
A burglar who was caught after stealing cash from an elderly Scunthorpe couple has been jailed for three years, Humberside Police have reported.
William Chapman, 38, admitted sneaking into the house and taking the cash on Friday, May 29, 2020.
Chapman had been at the house with another man and a woman the previous day, carrying out some gardening work for the couple.
On May 29 he returned to the house to discuss carrying out further work.
He then sneaked into the property, leaving the others talking in the garden.
Once they had left that the couple discovered that someone had been into the house and taken purses and wallets containing a large quantity of money.
He was captured committing the crime on CCTV, and arrested a short time after.
Officers for the Humber Roads Crime Team spotted and stopped Chapman in a van in the A645 at Eggborough.
They seized £1,500 in cash.
Detective Inspector Wendy Lusby from Scunthorpe CID said:
“Thanks to the prompt actions of our investigation team and our colleagues in the Roads Crime Team, we were not only able to quickly track Chapman down but also return the couple’s money to them.
“I hope that knowing that he is now behind bars will help this couple to put this incident behind them.
“No one should be made to feel like they are not safe in their own home – but that’s the impact offences like this can have, particularly when the victim is already vulnerable.
“That’s why we will always do everything we can to investigate the circumstances, find those responsible and put them before the courts.
“If you have concerns about someone acting suspiciously or you suspect that bogus callers are operating in your area, please let us know.
“If there’s a burglary in progress or you believe someone’s in immediate danger, always call 999.
“Otherwise, you can call us on our non-emergency 101 line or contact us via Twitter or Facebook @Humberbeat.
“If you’d rather not give your name, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”
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