PREVIEW

WORDS BYLINE: Millie Bowles
A prolific burglar who smashed through a family’s door on Christmas Day and stole items worth thousands of pounds was caught by tracking AirPods.
Anthony Allen broke into Rozerin Olgun’s parents’ house in Boxley, Ashford, late at night, while they visited family.
On returning soon after, they were devastated to discover belongings strewn around ransacked rooms, with jewellery, cash and the wireless headphones missing.
While scouring their CCTV, footage timestamped at 11.33pm showed Allen lurking through the house, and haphazardly opening drawers in the living room.
When police were alerted, officers traced the AirPods to a house in Stanhope where they discovered him hiding in the loft.
The 47-year-old was jailed for two years, four months and 23 days at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday (February 27).
But his victim, who was left shaking after returning to the burgled home on that troubling day last year, says the sentence is nowhere near enough.
Highlighting Allen’s 25 previous convictions for 55 offences, she said: “I don't think two years is anything, but obviously it is what it is.
“He has done it at other times, so he'll do it again. That's why I don't think two years is enough.”
She believes Allen had worked with an accomplice and, while her family were out, were in fact burgled earlier in the day as well.
Miss Olgun explained: “Our house got burgled twice on the same day.
“He was (working) with another person as well, but obviously, he's the only person being sentenced.
“If the second person gets found, then we won't feel unsafe, but obviously, we don't know how many more people were involved.”
During the hearing, prosecutor George Skinner said the value of belongings taken is estimated to be more than £3,000.
He read victim impact statements from members of the Olgun family, one from Rozerin’s younger brother, Ibrahim, whose school work was trashed beyond repair.
“I am 17 and currently studying,” his statement said.
“To come home to find everything had been turned upside down has really affected me.
“I had to take time out of school, and when I’m there, I feel distracted.”
But in mitigation, Shanda McAteer explained her client had suffered a tragic loss before the burglary.
“He had been previously in a long-term relationship and during the course of it became extremely close to his partner’s mother - she became a mother figure,” the lawyer said.
“His partner’s mother passed away shortly after his own father.”
She said that the relationship broke down, and he spiralled into an “emotional breakdown”.
Ms McAteer added that Allen, of no fixed address, started using drugs and alcohol more regularly after these events.
She added: “He hopes, through me, to apologise to the family.
“He’s clearly someone who does need help.
“He hopes to put offending behaviour behind him and repair his relationship with his children.”
Allen pleaded guilty to burgling the Olgun’s home at a previous hearing.
The court heard he had subsequently been convicted of burgling two other houses on the same day.
Judge Paul Goldspring told Allen: “You have an extensive and appalling criminal record.
“Burglary is not merely a crime against property; it’s an intrusion into the safety and security of those violated.”
Allen will have to serve at least 40% of his sentence in custody and pay the statutory victim surcharge.