Ambleside burglar warned to expect long prison sentence (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Ambleside burglar warned to expect long prison sentence

4:31pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News

A MAN who burgled the Ambleside home of a vulnerable 87-year-old woman has been told to expect a long prison sentence.

Derek McKechan, 44, got into the woman’s house in Old Lake Road, Ambleside, on October 16 in the brief time that her 24-hour-a-day carer was out visiting her dentist, Carlisle Crown Court heard (MON).

Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told the court McKechan, who has committed nearly 100 burglaries and other offences of dishonesty in his criminal career, first knocked on both the front and back doors of the house, apparently to establish whether anyone was in.

When nobody answered he smashed a window to get inside and only after going around most of the house heard his victim’s radio.

He immediately left the house, taking cash and one of the old lady’s rings – worth a total of around £50 – with him.

McKechan, of Waverley Road, Foxbar, Paisley, Glasgow, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary.

He pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving a Mercedes car on the A591 at Ambleside on the same day.

The prosecution said that with McKechan facing a long sentence for the burglary it was not worth proceeding with the driving charge, so it is likely to be left lying on the court file.

Defence advocate Gareth James said McKechan realised that another spell in prison was inevitable so wanted to be sentenced immediately.

But the judge, Recorder Louis Browne, refused to pass sentence without first having a report on his background from probation officers.

McKechan was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on February 19.