Man jailed following ‘disturbing’ burglary at home of 86-year-old woman in Ballymena

David Taylor (43), of no fixed abode, was convicted of burglary, false imprisonment, attempted burglary, theft, possession of a class B drug, and two counts of criminal damage.

Taylor pleaded guilty at Antrim Crown Court in May this year and on Thursday (August 29), he was sentenced to serve three years and eight months, half in prison and half on licence after his release. Speaking after sentencing, Detective Inspector McDowell said: "This was a disturbing and very frightening incident for the victim, a woman aged 86. David Taylor forced his way into the woman’s property, in the Hollybank Park area of Ballymena, in the early hours of Wednesday 30th November 2022, and proceeded to ransack a number of rooms while forcing the victim to remain in her bedroom.

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“The victim attempted to flee the house via the back door, but Mr Taylor dragged her back inside. He remained in the house for several hours, before leaving and taking with him a number of bank cards, bank books, a sum of cash and jewellery.

“The thought of someone being in your home, a place rightly supposed to be a place of safety, is a complete violation of your security. The impact of burglary isn't just financial either. It can also impact a person's sense of security which can impact on a person's emotional well-being.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the victim for her co-operation with our investigation and I hope that today's outcome will provide some level of comfort to her.”