Mum speaks of confrontation with intruder

12:22pm Friday 29th August 2008

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A KIDDERMINSTER couple who came face to face with a “drunk” burglar as he was ransacking their home have spoken of their shock.

Jayne Peck and her partner, Simon Beard, returned to their Bewdley Hill home from a night out at the Warehouse cinema last night when they realised someone had broken in.

As they walked through their front door, at about 10.30pm, they found that the doors, which they had shut before they left, were open.

They were “surprised” and “startled” when a man, believed to be in his early 20s, came dashing out of their sitting room and tried to barge past them.

He was stopped in his tracks when Ms Peck grabbed hold of him as he tried to escape and bravely asked him what he was doing there.

She said: “We went out because our children were out and so we took advantage of it. When we came back and realised someone was in our house we approached cautiously.

“At first, we thought it might have been one of our older children because it was in darkness but deep down we knew it wasn’t.

“He pushed past Simon in the hallway and then he tried to push past me. I decided that he was here now and he was going to stay so I grabbed hold of him and said ‘what are you doing here?’ “He was strong and he overpowered me and he broke free. He went to run off and I made Simon chase him. Simon grabbed him but he broke free again and ran off.

“Simon chased him but I called him back because I thought there might have been another one in the house.”

She added that the burglar had thrown open all of the drawers and cupboard doors of their kitchen and sitting room and had left two cans of lager in a carrier bag.

Mr Beard, 43, said he believed two of his cash cards and a craft pocket knife had been taken.

Ms Peck added: “It was a shock finding him in my house. It was only when he tried to break free that I realised he was up to no good.

“I think he was looking for money because he hasn’t taken or attempted to take anything of any value.”

The 40-year-old added: “He was startled when he saw us and a bit confused and he was asking where someone called Cole was.

“He appeared drunk. Simon smelt the alcohol on his breath. It could’ve been a lot worse than it was, really.”

She explained that the couple, who moved from Liverpool seven years ago to experience rural life, were unable to get any sleep because they were both shaken up. They moved to their Kidderminster home from Cleobury Mortimer in April.

The mother of three said: “I’m quite glad that we weren’t in the house with the children because that would have been frightening..

“The thing that keeps going through my mind is when I took hold of him and we made eye contact. It felt strange because I could see him right in front of me.

“If it had been an elderly person it would have been a lot worse.”

She added that she commended the police for their quick response.