Michael Truman (Image: Gwent Police)
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A serial offender has been sentenced to more than three years behind bars after his DNA linked him to a break-in at a family home in Newport.
The break-in
Michael Truman, 36, entered a property in the Rogerstone area on December 9, 2024, while the occupants were inside. He took the key to a Volkswagen Transporter parked at the address and attempted to drive it away alongside an accomplice who remains unidentified.
The homeowner confronted the pair before they could leave in the van. Both men fled the scene in a Renault Megane. However, Truman was later identified after his DNA was recovered from the vehicle’s steering wheel.
Impact on the family
Cardiff Crown Court heard the burglary left lasting effects on the household. In a victim impact statement, the complainant said: “I feel paranoid and I’m constantly on edge.
“My wife, who was pregnant at the time, was really nervous when she was on her own in the house which made me upset.
“We don’t want to live here anymore.”
He added: “I was worried they would come back.
“I can’t believe the confidence of the bloke to enter my home when we were there.
“I had a nightmare with my insurance company.”
Extensive criminal history
Prosecutor Matthew Comer outlined Truman’s record to the court. The defendant, of Cardiff Prison, has 37 previous convictions spanning 65 offences, predominantly involving dishonesty and driving matters. In 2023, he received a five-year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit burglary, theft of two motor vehicles and two counts of handling stolen goods.
In mitigation, the court heard Truman has been in and out of custody since the age of 15 and suffers from PTSD.
Sentencing
Truman admitted burglary and attempting to steal a motor vehicle. Recorder Greg Bull KC told him: “In my judgment, these offences were planned.
“You knew your victims were at home.
“I accept that no violence was used.
“You have a bad record for dishonesty.
“These offences are serious – the effect on the family has been significant and I can’t ignore that.”
He was jailed for 40 months and told he would serve no more than half of that sentence before being released on licence.
