TWO north Ceredigion men have been sentenced to four years in prison for three creeper burglaries, including two at the homes of elderly female clients of a care agency where one of them worked.

Allyn Freeman, aged 33, of Bryn Wyre, Aberystwyth, and Daniel Bloomer, aged 23, of Heol Elynnydd, Devil's Bridge, were sentenced after pleading guilty to all charges at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, 2 December.

Following a protracted investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police, which involved extensive crime scene investigation work, as well as ANPR and digital enquiries such as mobile phone detection and CCTV, they admitted their parts in a series of dwelling creeper burglaries in the Aberystwyth area during 2018.

Sgt Steven Jones said the burglaries had been terrifying for their victims.

“These creeper burglaries happened as the victims, all elderly women, slept,” he said.

“We’re pleased that our case was strong enough to make Freeman and Bloomer admit what they had done so justice could be handed down to them.”

Police said that during the early hours of Saturday, 10 February 2018, the home of an elderly lady was targeted as she slept in the Cwmrheidol area of Aberystwyth.

She woke to find items were out of place in her home and found her bank cards and £70 in cash were missing from her purse and her mobile phone had been stolen.

Then 12 days later, on Thursday, 22 February 2018, the home of another elderly lady in the Llanfarian area of Aberystwyth was targeted. The victim, who received support from the care agency where Bloomer worked, had been on a list of planned visits for him.

At approximately 5.30am, the victim was in bed when she saw a light flashing in her room and a person walking in wearing a black coat with a hood covering their face.

During the burglary, the victim’s handbag, which contained a number of items, including £100 to £200 in cash, a small gold-coloured cross pin and two cheque books, was stolen.

The following day, Friday, 23 February 2018, another elderly woman, who had received support from the same agency, was burgled in the Penglais Hill area of Aberystwyth.

She was asleep when she was woken by a noise downstairs at approximately 4.30am.

She got out of bed and moved towards the bedroom door when she saw a torch light shine up the stairs and she believes that somebody took hold of her walking stick, which she was holding in front of her.

A male voice then asked her “where’s your handbag?” before running away. It is not thought that anything was taken in this incident.

All victims were offered the help of burglary support officers at the force.

Freeman and Bloomer also admitted a burglary at Ysgol Mynach, Devil's Bridge, on Saturday, 10 February 2018.

For conspiracy to commit dwelling burglary they were both sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, with a further year, to run concurrently, for conspiracy to commit commercial burglary, and a further month imprisonment, to run concurrently for conspiracy to steal.

Bloomer was also sentenced to serve an additional six months imprisonment, to run consecutively, for conspiring to pervert the course of justice after trying to persuade Freeman to provide an account to police that would exonerate Bloomer for the offences, and offered him financial reward to do so.

Bloomer was a "vulnerable young man", the court heard, and had not been the one who had entered the houses during the burglaries.

Freeman had been diagnosed with ADHD, Asperger's, and autism spectrum disorder, the court heard.