Trial told of Ipswich couple’s terror after discovering ‘burglars in their bedroom’
The victims lived in Park North, off Westerfield Road - Credit: Sarah Lucy brown
An elderly woman woke at night to find two burglars in her bedroom, a court has heard.
The woman from Ipswich, who was in bed with her husband in their ground floor flat in Park North, asked the men what they were doing and told them they had no right to be in their home, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
The men immediately left the bedroom and the couple called the police, said Lindsay Cox, prosecuting.
The couple discovered the back door to their flat was wide open and noticed two handbags which had been at the side of their bed were missing.
Some jewellery boxes had been taken from shelving in their bedroom and a briefcase had been stolen from another room.
The briefcase and two handbags were found abandoned in the couple’s garage, said Mr Cox.
Police officers who attended the area saw three men and allegedly overheard one of them say something about jumping over a fence.
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The men were stopped by the officers and it was noticed two of them were sweating heavily, said Mr Cox.
A police dog tracked back from where the defendants were to a bush where jewellery boxes allegedly stolen in the burglary were found.
Before Ipswich Crown Court yesterday was Matthew Drain, 20, of Richmond Road, Ipswich and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named because of his age. They have denied burglary at a flat in Park North, near Westerfield Road, Ipswich, in the early hours of August 4 last year.
Drain has also denied stealing a radio and two offences of handling stolen goods.
Mr Cox told the jury a third defendant had admitted his part in the burglary.
Mr Cox said the offences of handling stolen goods and theft related to items including a purse and a radio which had been stolen from vehicles, that were found by police during a search of Drain’s home.
Drain chose not to give evidence during the trial.
Giving evidence the 17-year-old youth denied being involved in the burglary.
He said he had been walking home on the night in question when he saw Drain and another man and had “tagged along” with them.
As they were walking along the road they saw a police car and shortly afterwards they were stopped by officers.
The trial continues today.
