Preston Burglars Jailed After Midnight Raid on Williams Lane Family Home

Two burglars have been jailed for three and a half years each following a terrifying middle-of-the-night raid on a family home in Preston.

Lee Collier, 44, of Kirkland Place, Preston, and Liam Jackson, 30, of Princes Street, Southport, targeted the property on Williams Lane, Preston, in the early hours of November 21, 2023. The occupants of the house awoke just before 3:00 a.m. to discover their front door standing wide open. Upon inspecting the house, the family realized that multiple high-value items had been stolen, including iPads, a laptop, and approximately £1,200 in cash.

Lancashire Constabulary officers responded swiftly to the report. Police patrols spotted the two men acting suspiciously in the vicinity shortly after the burglary. The suspects were stopped while attempting to travel in a taxi, where officers discovered a metal baseball bat. While one of the men was detained immediately at the scene, the other attempted to flee on foot. He was subsequently located hiding in nearby woodland following a search by the police drone unit.

Both Collier and Jackson pleaded guilty to residential burglary on the first day of their trial at Preston Crown Court. In addition to the burglary charge, Jackson was sentenced for possession of an offensive weapon in public. The court heard statements from the victims detailing the profound emotional impact of having their home violated while their children slept. The judge sentenced both men to 42 months in custody, describing the offense as a serious breach of domestic security that warranted immediate prison time.