Scarborough men jailed for total of five years after night-time raid on couple's home

The victims were in their beds when seasoned house-breaker Daniel Daubney broke into their home in the early hours of the morning, York Crown Court heard.

They awoke to find their home had been ransacked, with “mud all over the floor, their belongings rifled through and items missing”, said prosecutor Brooke Morrison.

“Further items appear to have been gathered together and left out to be taken, leading (the named victims) to believe that they had disturbed the intruders before they had finished,” she added.

“A back window in their conservatory was open and in the back garden the neighbours’ bins were pushed up against their own garden fence to allow (the burglars) to climb over.”

“(The husband) noticed a strong smell of alcohol in the area.”

Police were called and they checked CCTV footage from a local service station.

The footage showed two men, one of whom was Daubney, buying a bottle of Fanta, some vodka and two Costa coffees just before the burglary on June 30 last year.

The victims, who lived close to the garage, found the same Fanta bottle and two coffee cups in an alleyway behind their home.

“The footage showed (the burglars) walking away from (the victims’) home with a number of bags,” said Ms Morrison.

Officers identified Daubney and the “other men” from the footage, she added.

Daubney’s sidekick Barry McGrath, who denied taking part in the burglary and being on the footage, was arrested the following day, along with another named man, after they were spotted walking down the street with items stolen in the burglary.

McGrath was found in possession of two bottles of alcohol and some aftershave.

On July 6, police went to another address in Scarborough on an unrelated welfare check on the woman who lived at the property.

Just after they arrived, the woman returned home with three men, one of whom was McGrath, who was carrying a ‘Bag for Life’ with a black handle protruding from the top.

“When they opened the bag, they found a 2ft-long sword,” said Ms Morrison.

One of the men in the group ran off, she added.

Daubney was arrested the following day at an address in Friar’s Gardens, Scarborough, after police found more items linked to the burglary – including a laundry bag.

He refused to answer police questions.

McGrath, 43, of Falsgrave Road, Scarborough, denied burglary and was found not guilty, but admitted handling stolen goods and possessing an offensive weapon.

Daubney, 40, whose last registered address was Queen Street, Scarborough, admitted burglary.

The other named man had already pleaded guilty and been sentenced to five months in jail for handling stolen goods.

McGrath and Daubney appeared for sentence on Tuesday, April 5.

Ms Morrison said there were “at least two burglars” involved in the raid on the couple’s house.

“They were going to and from the property in the early hours of the morning while the occupants were in bed,” she added.

She said that many of the stolen items were damaged and some, including electrical items, were returned to their owners.

The court heard that Daubney had 53 previous convictions for 108 offences, mainly theft and shoplifting but also three previous house burglaries.

In March last year, he was jailed for six weeks for drug possession and breaching a court order.

McGrath had 37 previous convictions for 122 offences, the majority for theft and kindred dating back 30 years, but also 37 burglaries.

He also had seven previous convictions for handling stolen goods and one for wounding in 2017.

His last conviction was for criminal damage in September last year.

Caroline Abraham, for Daubney, said he had drug and drink problems which had led to mental-health problems.

He had abused illicit substances for the past two decades and over the past 10 years he had developed an opiate problem.

Rodney Ferm, for McGrath, said his client had been “doing well” in prison since he was remanded in custody in November last year.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, jailed Daubney for four years and McGrath for 15 months.