Bungling crooks put behind bars

Wigan man Henry Price and his cousin Gregory Price smashed their way into a house in Allerton, Liverpool, through a patio door and went straight to the master bedroom which they ransacked.

But before they found anything to steal the burglar alarm, which they thought they had disabled, began ringing and they fled, said Bernice Campbell, prosecuting.

Gregory Price, 23, leapt from the first floor balcony but landed badly, breaking his leg. A suspicious neighbour had earlier noticed men wandering around near the house, one dressed in black and wearing gloves and he rang the police.

As the alarm went off police with dogs arrived and Gregory Price was found hiding in a nearby bush and begged: “Please don’t let the dog bite me.”

He was taken to hospital and meanwhile Henry Price, who had cut himself during the raid, was found in the garden with a walkie-talkie and arrested.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that only one such device was found but a car had been spotted in the vicinity of the house at the time of the burglary.

Henry Price, 20, of Leaway, Ince, and Gregory Price, of Sherdley Road Caravan Park, St Helens, both admitted attempted burglary.

Sentencing Gregory to 18 months’ imprisonment and Henry to 15 months’ detention the judge, Recorder Stephen Riordan said he had no doubt they came from outside the area to commit the burglary.

Defence barrister Nicola Daley said Henry, who has two previous convictions, was “ remorseful for getting involved in this offence”. He had been asked by his cousin to come to Liverpool and meet him at the house and was given the walkie-talkie.

Robert Haygarth, defending Gregory, who has three previous convictions, had been suffering from the trauma of his marriage break-up and being separated from their young daughter at the time of the burglary.