Two burglars jailed for 'cowardly' attack during Scarborough break-in

Simon Cahill, 44, and Jamie Palliser, 22, climbed up scaffolding and broke into the flat in Beulah Terrace through a window.

The victim, who was in bed, was repeatedly punched, kicked and attacked with a mirror, York Crown Court heard.

The burglars - including another man who is yet to be identified following the crime - stole a mobile phone and a tobacco tin said to be of deep sentimental value to the victim, who was knocked to the floor during the “cowardly” attack, said prosecutor Matthew Collins.

It’s understood the victim tried to call police during the attack, but had his phone snatched from him. He suffered bleeding and extensive bruising to the face.

The two males were later arrested and charged with burglary and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

A third man, Dennis Reynolds, 37, was also arrested and charged with handling the stolen items, although he was not involved in the burglary.

All three men initially pleaded their innocence and the case was about to go to trial last week when they entered belated guilty pleas.

Cahill and Palliser admitted burglary and assault, although the court accepted it was Cahill who was the main aggressor and Palliser did not aim any kicks at the victim.

While Reynolds, of Ploughmans Court, Eastfield, admitted handling stolen goods.

The three defendants appeared for sentence on Monday April 30.

Mr Collins said the break-in on December 1 last year had arisen from animosity Cahill felt towards the victim who had been seeing the defendant’s ex-girlfriend.

Cahill, of Beulah Terrace, was the ringleader and had recruited two henchmen - Palliser and the unidentified man - to go around to the victim’s home “mob-handed”. Cahill later boasted that he had “brayed” the victim.

The victim, who was named in court, said he had been severely affected by the attack which had left him feeling “extremely vulnerable, scared and nervous”.

He had moved out of the flat following the burglary because he didn’t feel safe, and although he had since returned, he still feared being attacked again despite routinely locking all doors and windows.

The court heard that Cahill had 38 previous convictions for over 100 offences including burglaries and a robbery in 2014 for which he received a six-year jail sentence.

While Palliser had 30 previous convictions for 53 offences, many for violence, and Reynolds had 63 previous convictions for 142 offences.

Andrea Parnham, for Cahill, said that according to her client, the mirror had broken during the melee rather than being pushed into the victim.

Adam Nixon, for Palliser, said his client, who worked as a labourer, did not aim any kicks at the victim and was not the one who snatched his phone.

Laura Addy, for Reynolds, said her client had an “unattractive” record due to drug and alcohol abuse. The handling offence was committed just five weeks after he had been released from prison for a previous offence.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said Cahill had recruited Palliser because of the latter’s record for violence.

Jailing Cahill for four-and-a-half years, Mr Stubbs told him: “I’m satisfied that you were the driving force in this offending and you recruited the others.”

Palliser, of Westway, Eastfield, was given a four-year jail sentence. Reynolds was jailed for 10 months.

Palliser and Cahill were also given 10-year restraining orders banning them from approaching the victim upon their release from prison.