A judge yesterday vowed that courts would deal severely with criminals who targeted isolated country areas as he jailed a professional burglar for five years.

Judge Guy Whitburn said deterrent sentences had to be passed to stem escalating and often difficult to detect rural crime and protect vulnerable householders from attack.

He gave his warning after hearing how a 62-year-old man had been assaulted when he confronted raiders who struck at his remote home near Hexham, Northumberland, in June this year.

The three-man gang had targeted the house after one of them knocked on the door asking for water for their car as a ruse to check out the property.

Their car was later seen in the area by the victim after he left his home and, suspicious he returned to find the raiders in the process of stealing a trailer and £4,000 off-road bike they had removed from a locked garage.

The man blocked the driveway with his own car and shouted at the intruders to leave, said Glen Gatland, prosecuting at Newcastle Crown Court.

But while two of the raiders started to get in their car, the third, Robert Gray, ran towards him and attacked him in his car in an attempt to grab his mobile telephone and prevent him summoning help.

He finally managed to break free from Gray but he was then forced to jump out of the path of the intruders as they drove off, ramming his car as they made their escape.

He was left shocked and suffered injuries including scratches to his face, the court was told.

Gray, 31, of Wordsworth Avenue, Hebburn, South Tyneside, admitted theft, burglary, assault and criminal damage, a further unrelated burglary in Blaydon near Gateshead when £4,000 worth of property was stolen, theft of another trailer and escape.

Gray, who has 104 previous convictions against him, including burglary, firearms offences and robbery, was traced by fingerprint evidence.

He was found in a wardrobe when police went to his home to arrest him.

Judge Whitburn said the attack had been a particularly serious assault which had terrified the victim.

He said: "Rural crime is on the increase, police resources are scarce and stretched. Deterrent sentences must be passed to dissuade travelling burglars - because that is essentially what they are - from raiding isolated areas in the countryside."

"Let this be a clear lesson to anybody else minded to commit offences of this gravity."

The Journal: Today's Voice of the North 

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