Man jailed after robbing a woman in her own home in Cambridgeshire

The 74-year-old was in bed when she attacked in December 2021

Author: Tom HailePublished 18th Jul 2023

A man who walked into a woman’s bedroom, covered her mouth and demanded money has been jailed.

Jon Paul Carpenter let himself in through the back door of a home in Plantation Road, Sawston at around 4am on 27 December 2021 and into the bedroom of a 74-year-old woman.

He stood by her bed and covered her mouth to muffle her screams while demanding she hand over cash.

At first the victim told Carpenter she didn’t have any money but when he threatened to hurt her, she handed over £350.

After he left, the woman called police and scenes of crime officers attended. She recognised the suspect as living across the road from her and as a result officers were able to identify Carpenter. They were also able to match the 38-year-old’s DNA to the back door handle of the property.

At Huntingdon Law Courts on Friday (15 July), Carpenter was sentenced to five years in prison after previously pleading guilty to robbery.

Detective Constable Henry Longhurst, who investigated, said: “Carpenter called police just hours before to report he was receiving threats from a man and messages on his phone revealed he had debts to pay, however, that does not excuse what he did.

“Carpenter terrified a woman in her own home. Not only was she physically harmed with bruising and scratching to her face, but she will also live with this incident for years to come. I hope this sentence provides some closure to the victim and gives Carpenter the opportunity to reflect on the seriousness of his actions.”

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