He was 'sick of having no money', so he left families terrified

A prolific burglar who struck at several homes during terrifying home invasions said he was ‘sick of having no money’.

David Boyd, 20, was part of a gang which targeted homes across north Manchester, Bury, Bolton and Oldham. Householders were confronted by balaclava clad thieves on two occasions.

The offenders threatened the residents that if they didn’t hand over their keys then they would ‘torch’ their car, Manchester Crown Court heard today (September 27). High value vehicles including BMWs and a Mercedes were stolen.

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After he was caught, Boyd, who claimed he was the ‘lookout’ for the gang, told a probation officer that he was ‘sick of having no money’.

“Your solution to this problem was to join with others and break into other people’s houses to steal their belongings,” Judge Patrick Field KC said. “You and two or three others committed what amounts to a wave of domestic burglaries in towns across the north of Manchester.

"These were not opportunistic offences. These were organised, planned and premeditated offences. You were selfish and had no thought for the upset and distress that you would cause to the families whose homes you had violated.”

The judge branded Boyd, from Blackley, as being ‘immature’ and told him he had ‘some considerable amount of growing up to do’. The break-in and attempted break-ins were committed at night, at houses which were occupied with some containing children.

“People were at home, often in bed,” the judge said. “Some of the occupants were to find you and your associates trying to break into their homes.

“The object of the burglaries was often to steal valuable vehicles parked on driveways outside the homes attacked. I have no doubt that the impact of your offending was significant for every victim.”

Boyd, of Churchdale Road, Blackley, pleaded guilty to nine counts of burglary, eight counts of attempted burglary and five counts of theft of motor vehicles.

He was sentenced to three years and eight months, and told he would likely serve 40 per cent of the sentence in prison before being released on licence.