Maryport Burglar Sentenced for Brazen Night-Time Raid

Brazen Burglary While Victims Slept

A Maryport resident has been sentenced to prison following a deeply invasive burglary in which he targeted a home while the unsuspecting owners were asleep upstairs. Cumbria Police were called to investigate the break-in, which occurred during the early hours of April 26. Investigating officers were able to review privately owned CCTV footage, which clearly showed 43-year-old Paul McCracken of Pecklewell Terrace unlawfully entering the property.

Stolen Jewellery Recovered

During the night-time raid, McCracken successfully stole a significant quantity of high-value jewellery from the ground floor. Following his identification via the CCTV footage, police swiftly apprehended McCracken, and a subsequent search of his address led to the successful recovery of some of the stolen items. McCracken appeared at Carlisle Crown Court on May 29, where he admitted to the offenses of burglary and vehicle interference. He was subsequently sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. A spokesperson for Cumbria Police highlighted the severity of the crime, stating: “Burglary is an invasive crime, particularly when it takes place while residents are at home. Through swift police work and the use of CCTV, we were able to identify McCracken and recover a significant quantity of stolen property.”

Prioritizing Night-Time Home Security

Knowing an intruder was inside your home while you slept is incredibly traumatic. Residents can take several steps to secure their homes at night:

• Get into a strict routine of physically checking that all external doors are locked and all ground-floor windows are securely fastened before heading upstairs to bed.
• Do not leave valuables, such as expensive jewellery, laptops, or car keys, visible on downstairs tables or countertops overnight.
• Consider installing a 'staged' burglar alarm system, which allows you to arm the ground floor sensors while leaving the upstairs sensors deactivated so you can move around freely at night.