A MAN from Trowbridge has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment after pleading guilty to burglary and GBH after he broke into a home on Christmas Eve.

Billy O ‘Connor, aged 30, of Kingsdown Road, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on July 12.

On Christmas Eve last year, O’Connor was found inside a house in The Street, Broughton Gifford, by the homeowner who had been watching television with his wife at the time.

The homeowner, a man aged in his 50s, restrained O’Connor while his wife called the police. During this time, O’Connor struck the man with a bottle of aftershave causing an injury to his neck.

When officers arrived, they arrested O’Connor and the victim was taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath as a precaution and required stitches to his injury.

Det Con Steve Edwards said: “This burglary took place on the evening of Christmas Eve when the homeowners were getting ready to enjoy their Christmas the following day. As a result of O’Connor’s actions, they were unable to enjoy the festivities and have been made to feel frightened and nervous in their own home. No one should ever be made to feel that way at home and I do not underestimate the impact that this will have had on them.”

The sentence given to O’Connor also took into account his part in a robbery which occurred in Melksham a month earlier on 24 November 2018.

O’Connor, and Roman Jeggo, 21, of Market Place, Melksham, both approached a vehicle parked in Bowmans Court which had two occupants inside.

O’Connor and Jeggo produced knives and threatened the two people inside the vehicle, before taking several expensive personal items from the car including mobile phone, aftershave, wallets and a jacket, and fleeing the scene on foot.

Both men pleaded guilty to robbery in relation to this incident. Jeggo was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

Det Con Edwards added: “Both of these incidents caused members of the public to feel threatened and we will not tolerate this behaviour.

“I am pleased that both individuals have been given custodial sentences to reflect on their behaviour.”