Robber who preyed on grieving family jailed for eight years

Uncategorised • 19th May 2014

A robber who stole from a grieving family and held up newsagents at knifepoint has been jailed for eight years.

A detailed police investigation, which unusually began when a bag of suspected stolen property was left at the scene of a burglary, led detectives to arrest Birmingham man Daniel Wyatt in February this year in connection with four burglaries and two robberies.

The trail to find Wyatt, aged 47, began after he smashed through the window of his former girlfriend’s home, in Olton, on 27th January.

Whilst stealing a TV and a Wii games console, he left behind a bag of goods which the victim didn’t recognise – in it she found a distinctive ring, which she feared might have been stolen, and so contacted police.

As police launched an investigation, the ex-partner shared her concerns with officers that her former boyfriend might have been involved and that he’d once boasted to her about stealing from a lady who he used to do odd jobs for.

Wyatt even went so far as to brag that he’d hidden his loot inside the cellar of his victim’s Hall Green home!

Detectives tracked down the crime and visited the 61-year-old at her home, where they found that a false ceiling had been installed in the cellar – and sure enough the remains of jewellery boxes and some of the victim’s documents were inside.

DC Ian Atherley led the police investigation. He said: “This was a proper case of tracking back through events and following bits of information that people could remember to find our man.

“The circumstances of the burglary involving the 61-year-old woman were particularly tragic as Wyatt had once been a family friend who they obviously had trusted.

“He took advantage of that trust in the worst possible way and whilst helping the lady to prepare for her daughter’s funeral, Wyatt stole a ring belonging to the late young woman from the family home.

“Some of the jewellery he took had been in the family for generations, jewellery which in fact the family had managed to smuggle to safety whilst they fled the Nazis.”

Officers investigated Wyatt further and found a pawnbroker account where he sold stolen property from his former girlfriend, as well as property from other burglaries.

Before his arrest, Wyatt went on to rob a Londis Store and Sandhu convenience store, both in Chelmsley Wood, in February. In both crimes he threatened staff with a machete.

On the 15th May, Wyatt received an eight-year prison sentence during a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to four counts of burglary, two counts of robbery and two counts of possession of a knife.

DC Atherley added: “Wyatt was a nasty individual who preyed on a family whilst they were at their most vulnerable, whilst causing others to fear for their safety as he went about his criminal activities.

“His crimes were despicable and we can only hope that his victims can take comfort from knowing that he is now in prison for a long time.”