Man sentenced following terrifying burglary spree in Shropshire
A burglar has been sentenced to seven years after he left residents of a cul-de-sac in Hampton Loade terrified following a night-time crime spree.
Mark Everitt, of HMP Onley, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday, 6 October, after he pleaded guilty to burglary, three counts of attempted burglary and two counts of robbery.
At around 11.30 pm on September 3, 2024, the 41-year-old let himself into a property in Hampton Loade using the patio door.
Once Everitt entered the property he was heard by the homeowner saying 'van key, van keys, where are the van keys?' and he started going through drawers and cupboards in the kitchen.
Whilst searching for keys, Everitt was disturbed by the homeowner, where he then threatened her with a pair of scissors he had found in a drawer.
Upon hearing a commotion in the kitchen the woman's husband came to inspect what was happening, where he was then confronted and threatened by Everitt.
Everitt left the property without taking anything. The homeowners then called 999 to alert police.
Minutes later Everitt targeted a neighbouring property where he managed to force entry to a utility room and was now in possession of a shovel.
Once inside the utility room Everitt started to search through drawers and cupboards, where he pocketed a BB handgun and a can of pop.
Everitt next used a brick to throw through a window in an attempt to gain entry to the main building. On doing this it woke the occupants of the address causing them to come downstairs, which disturbed Everitt who fled the scene.
During this time the homeowner from the first break-in had alerted a neighbour, who went to inspect their property only to find Everitt holding a shovel outside his home. Everitt then tried to gain entry to the property.
Following multiple 999 calls from residents in the same cul-de-sac in Hampton Loade, officers were deployed to the scene where Everitt was quickly found and arrested.
On Monday, 6 October, Everitt was handed a seven-year custodial sentence after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
Detective Sergeant Ben Docherty, from Shropshire's serious acquisitive crime team, said: "We welcome the sentence that has been handed to Everitt. I have no doubt that his actions that night caused unimaginable distress to the residents of Hampton Loade, and I would like to thank them for their cooperation throughout this investigation.
"I hope this sentence sends a strong message to those who think it is acceptable to break into someone's property and threaten them, that it will be taken seriously by police. We will do our utmost to put those individuals before the courts and get victims justice."
