Police in Kirklees are re-issuing an appeal to the public to help them trace a man involved in the burglary of a 99-year old woman in Batley last year.
At around 4:13pm on the 14 November, 2010 a man purporting to be from the council called at the woman’s home stating that he was there to mend a fence and that it would cost the woman £10 for the work to be done.
The woman let the man into her home and was showing him into the lounge when a second suspect, seen on CCTV, entered the house through the kitchen door at the rear of the property.
As the woman had no money in the house at the time, both men left and no money or property was thought to have been stolen. The victim was unaware that the second man had been able to get into the property.
From CCTV in the area, seen after the matter was reported, police identified two suspects. On the 24 November, a 26-year old man was arrested in the Northallerton area on suspicion of burglary.
26-year old James Cunningham was sentenced today to 5-years, 4-months in prison for the burglary. On the result, DCI Andy White of West Yorkshire Police’s Kirklees Division said: “Cunningham was responsible for a cynical burglary against a very old and very vulnerable woman.
“He conned his way into the victim’s home by posing as a council worker and took full advantage of her vulnerability to steal money from her.
“We are therefore pleased with the punishments handed out by the Court to Cunningham and the others like him who commit these cowardly crimes against the most vulnerable in society.
“The sentences handed out here demonstrates that the police and our partners in the Criminal Justice System take these crimes very seriously and will work together to prosecute offenders and put them before the courts.”
A second suspect is still outstanding however and police are releasing a CCTV still in a bid to trace him.
Anyone who may have information on the man in the picture is asked to contact DC Cath Uttley at Huddersfield CID via 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
