Robber jailed for tying up pensioner and stealing photos

A “truly despicable” robber who tricked an 88-year-old man before tying him up and stealing his wallet containing irreplaceable family photos has been jailed for 10 years.

Billy Bowen, of no fixed address, targeted Benjamin Thomas at his Wrexham home in September, pretending to be a gardener who had cut himself and asking for a plaster.

When Mr Thomas went upstairs to fetch one, he discovered a brick and broken glass on the floor. After giving Bowen a plaster, the defendant demanded another – then grabbed his elderly victim.

“Give me your cash,” Bowen said, threatening to kill Mr Thomas if he yelled. He bound the pensioner’s hands with a tie or belt before ripping a wallet from his jacket and fleeing.

It took Mr Thomas several minutes to free himself before he could ring police and his family. Officers found a large bruise on his left hand, and the pensioner was badly shaken and struggling to breathe.

Mr Thomas had begged Bowen not to take the wallet, which contained sentimental photographs of loved ones he had lost, but he was ignored.

In a victim statement, Mr Thomas said he felt he had aged and become depressed following the robbery. He struggles to sleep because the slightest noise makes him panic. The 88-year-old has a pacemaker, angina, and uses a walking stick due to vertigo.

Hours after the robbery, Bowen struck again at Kaspa’s Desserts in Priory Street, Wrexham. CCTV footage showed him breaking a window at 12.55am on 23rd September. He returned 20 minutes later, climbed through the hole, and stole a safe containing £840. It was later found badly damaged and open in Bellevue Park.

When police traced Bowen, he became “angry and aggressive” when asked about the burglary.

At Mold Crown Court, Bowen admitted robbery, false imprisonment, and two counts of burglary.

John Wyn Williams, defending, said his client’s mental health issues had been exacerbated by drinking and taking drugs. Bowen realises the impact on his vulnerable victim and is “disgusted” with himself, having had the “good sense” to plead guilty.

Mr Williams said Bowen had lost his father and brother fairly recently, which had an emotional impact on him, although that was no excuse. He added there is a “worrying pattern” of behaviour by the defendant.

His Honour Rhys Rowlands noted Mr Thomas had clearly been elderly and frail, and Bowen had been under the influence of crack cocaine and alcohol when he committed the robbery.

The judge said: “It is something which is likely to cause any right thinking person a great deal of anger that anybody in our society is prepared to behave in this way attacking an individual in their own home where he has lived happily and safely for almost 50 years. It’s an appalling situation.”

The court heard it had cost £2,400 to replace the restaurant’s safe and till, with window repairs costing £1,700.

Judge Rowlands also noted Bowen has 14 convictions for burgling homes, including 11 with elderly victims.

For robbing Mr Thomas, Bowen was jailed for nine years with an extended period of two years on licence. He received concurrent sentences of six years for false imprisonment and four and a half years for burglary.

He was sentenced to 12 months consecutively for burgling Kaspa’s, making a total of 10 years immediate custody. He must serve two thirds of the sentence before he can apply for parole.

The judge also imposed a 15-year restraining order prohibiting Bowen from contacting Mr Thomas.