A LENADOON man whose son walked in on a burglar in the middle of robbing the family home has welcomed the eight-month jail sentence handed down to the culprit. Christopher ‘Cricky’ Reid, 18, with an address at Hannahglen Heights, was found guilty of burglary with intent to steal at a home in the Carrigart Avenue area of Lenadoon on January 8.

Appearing before Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday, prowler Reid was sentenced to eight months in jail for the offence. During the same appearance he was given a further sentence of one month, to be served concurrently, in relation to a charge of disorderly behaviour committed in the Hannahglen Heights area on St Patrick’s Day last year.

Speaking to the Andersonstown News in January, Reid’s victim described how his son walked in on the thief opening  cupboards in their Carrigart Avenue home. Cowardly Reid took to his heels when confronted by the young man.  As he attempted to flee the area, Reid was picked up by police officers who were out looking for him  after he had attempted to enter another house nearby earlier that same night.

Speaking about Tuesday’s jail sentence, the victim said he was “more than happy” with the eight months jail time given to Reid.

Spree

“I thought he would have got two months, if I’m being honest,” said the victim, who did not want to be named.

“That fella was a thorn in people’s sides here and when he gets out he’ll probably do the same again. People who can do things like that will always do it again.”

The Carrigart Avenue incident was one of a spate of six break-ins and burglaries that took place over a two-week period in the Carrigart/Glenveagh area at the start of the year. A local woman, who lives in Carrigart Avenue and whose home was robbed during the fortnight’s crime spree, has lived in her home as both a child and a mother for the past 40 years.

“They tried the door of my house which had been left open, that’s how they got in,” she explained. “This area had always been safe enough that you could leave your door open. They took my daughter’s laptop that had one year’s AS-Level work on it. They also took my older daughter’s bag that contained a purse and expensive psychology textbooks for her university degree and they took my own purse. The books were dumped in the garden of a house in lower Lenadoon.

“People used to feel safe in their homes here and we left our doors open, but this has changed the way myself and all my neighbours live. House invasions like this change your attitudes and the way you look at life.

“We all have extra locks and chains on our doors now after all these years. It’s very sad,” she said.