A member of a burgling trio who "ransacked" a family home and left a mother fearing her family would be killed has been jailed.
Paul David Routledge, 34, Robert Jones, 27, and Josh Ward, 23, "terrorised" a family after they broke into their home in County Durham as two children slept upstairs and began trashing the property. The trio toppled furniture and left blood smeared on the walls as they goaded the man of the household to fight in the early hours of July 24, 2021.
The three intruders were found in the home by a mother, who was terrified they were going to kill her family. The frightening incident ended when the three men left the property, damaging cars in the street in the process.
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Last week, all three men appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for burglary, affray, and criminal damage. Ward was also charged with possession of cocaine but his sentencing was adjourned so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared. He returned to the court on Tuesday morning and received a 20-month prison sentence, joining his co-accused behind bars.
At the hearing on Friday, the court heard that the three men, all acting together and "under the influence", entered a family home in Wheatley Hill, County Durham, in the early hours of the morning as a couple and their two children slept. At around 4am, the mum of the family was awoken by a noise.
Joe Hedworth, prosecuting, said the mum was confronted by the men in her home before they began to "ransack" the house and smash it up. As Routledge, Jones and Ward left they smashed up the mum's car and also damaged the car of another resident in a nearby street. All three were arrested by the police in the coming days, with Ward being found in possession of cocaine when he was apprehended.
Judge James Adkin jailed Ward, of Barnard Avenue, Ludworth, Durham, for 20 months. He must also pay a £156 victim surcharge upon his release from prison.
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