Burglars smashed into family's Poole home in broad daylight

Caleb Ollie Johnson and Sonny Michael Foster’s first attempt to raid the Canford Heath address was only successful in setting off an alarm.

The pair, one of whom was in possession of a hunting knife, left the address but returned minutes later and broke in by smashing a window.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard they stole nearly £1,500 which belonged to a 12-year-old girl, as well as between £800 and £900 and a bank card belonging to her parents.

Judge Robert Pawson, who jailed both defendants at the hearing on February 2, said the crime committed on February 2 last year was a “comedy of errors or at least it would have been had it not been so serious".

He added: “The suggestion at trial made by you Mr Johnson that the knife was a surprise to you when you found it in your jacket pocket was absolute hogwash.”

Johnson and Foster were found guilty of aggravated burglary.

Johnson also admitted possession of a knife and fraudulently using the bank card on three occasions after the raid.

He also pleaded guilty to offences of robbery, two counts of theft and one offence of fraud by false representation relating to incidents in January and February 2020.

Foster, 40 and of Thorncombe Close, Poole, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years’ imprisonment and Johnson, 23 and of Bindon Close, Parkstone, was jailed for eight years.

Sonny Foster (Image: Dorset Police)

The court heard the burglars narrowly avoided a confrontation with a neighbour and they had another near miss when leaving the scene with their ill-gotten gains.

The father whose home they had burgled was alerted by an application on his phone and saw the men leaving the cul-de-sac where he lived, with this near miss seen on video footage.

Foster had 24 previous convictions for 44 offences, but there had been a long break in his offending since 2012.

Johnson had committed crimes more recently, with 10 previous convictions for 33 offences.

Caleb Ollie Johnson (Image: Dorset Police)

Prosecutor Mike Mason told the court Johnson’s 2020 offending began on January 21 when he stole a man’s e-bike outside Tesco in Poole Road, Poole.

On February 3, 2020, he stole a boy’s bicycle from the complainant’s driveway and went on to ride this bike when he robbed a 61-year-old Poole Hospital worker of her handbag as she walked home alone.

Later that day he tried to purchase items from Dorset Booze in Old Orchard, Poole, using the woman’s bank card.

Robin Leach, representing Johnson, said his client was “extremely immature” and he suffered from ADHD.

Mr Leach described the burglary as “very unsophisticated” and Johnson was full of remorse and apologised to his victims.

The sentencing hearing took place at Bournemouth Crown Court (Image: NQ)

Mitigating for Foster, Aleks Lloyd said his client “fell off the wagon” and he relapsed into drug misuse and criminality, having gone years without offending.

Mr Lloyd said Foster was upset when the harm that he caused to the child and mother who lived at the home he burgled.

The court heard he was helping support others while in custody.

“He’s genuinely sorry about what has occurred,” Mr Lloyd said.