Sudbury man jailed for burglary after victim suffers heart attack
He'll spend more than the three years behind bars
Last updated 24th Jan 2023
A Suffolk man has been jailed for more than three years for breaking into the home of an elderly couple in Norfolk.
One of the victims suffered a heart attack just hour after the break-in in Roydon, near Diss, on November 20 last year.
28 year old Henry Smith, formerly of Tawney's Rise in Sudbury, was handed a 40 month sentence at Ipswich Crown Court last week.
Police matched his DNA to a crowbar he'd left at the scene.
A gold bracelet, a gold watch, a blue overnight bag and cash were taken during the burglary, none of which have been recovered by police.
In her impact statement, one of thr victims said: “I definitely think that the stress of the burglary put a strain on his heart.
"We both can’t sleep; my husband and I go to bed exhausted and can’t sleep for about two hours a night. This means we are both tired during the day. This has changed how we live our lives.”
"The burglary has ruined our relationship with the house, it’s tearing us apart. We go to bed every night worried that we might get burgled."
PC Oliver Addley of Norfolk Police said: “Smith targeted the home of the couple and caused significant distress.
"We hope that the work to bring him to justice will serve as a warning to others that we will pursue this type of crime as we know the weight of impact it can have on victims.”