Pensioner’s raid terror

Dec 10 2007 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

NEIGHBOURS of an elderly man who was the victim of a vicious robbery by masked raiders in his own home spoke of their shock yesterday.

Glenton Roberts, 73, who lives alone in a terraced house in Burden Place, close to Peterlee town centre, County Durham, was woken at midnight on Friday by a torch being shone in his face.

He was confronted by two 6ft tall men wearing balaclava masks who repeatedly hit him on the face.

They forced him out of bed and downstairs, striking him in the face several times with what police described as an “unknown implement”, all the time demanding he hand over large sums of cash which they believed he had.

Before leaving with what officers described as a “four figure” sum, the raiders tied Mr Roberts up in the living room.

He managed to free himself and alerted a neighbour who raised the alarm.

Mr Roberts was taken to hospital in Hartlepool and detained overnight suffering from shock, bruises and minor cuts to his face.

Det Sgt Cliff Down of Peterlee CID said: “This does not look like an opportunist crime. It would appear the burglars were convinced there would be money in the house. There would have been a splintering or banging noise as they broke in through a rear window and if anyone nearby heard this or saw anything suspicious, we would urge them to get in touch.”

Shocked neighbours said the first they knew of the robbery was when they saw a police cordon around the house.

One woman who lives opposite said: “I don’t really know Mr Roberts although I believe a daughter comes to visit him. He doesn’t look particularly wealthy, I don’t know why he would have been targeted like this.

“I saw the police cordon around the house when I got up at seven on Saturday morning.

“I just hope he is all right.”

Police say they are not linking the raid with a robbery last month when a housewife was tied up by balaclava-clad burglars who ransacked her home on Neville’s Cross Bank, on the outskirts of Durham City.

Her attackers escaped with cash and a watch before the woman, who was tied up by the raiders, raised the alarm by dialling her husband’s mobile phone using her tongue.

Anyone with information on the Peterlee incident is asked to call Durham Police CID on 0845 60-60-365 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.