ONE of three men who cruelly staged a distraction burglary at the home of a 92-year-old Chester pensioner who lived alone has been locked up. At the time police had staged an operation against raids on the homes of elderly people in the city and were keeping watch on three men. But after the burglary in Brook Lane in September 2010 they escaped in a powerful Audi A4 and gave police the slip. They then disappeared to Ireland and wanted posters were produced by the police and put on the Internet. Just before Christmas father of five John Purcell, 21, handed himself in at Blacon police station. At Chester Crown Court he was jailed for 32 months and was warned that if he had been convicted after a trial he would have been jailed for four years. Judge David Hale said it took a great deal of confidence at the age of 90 or more to live alone. “Anyone who seeks to upset that must expect a substantial sentence,” he said. Judge Hale said he was perfectly satisfied that day the defendant and others as a group targeted a house they believed was occupied by an elderly person. “Others keep her talking while you take her money from her purse - £400, which to her is a lot of money.” Judge Hale branded it “a mean and awful offence” and told Purcell, of Myrtle Street, Ellesmere Port: “You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.” The judge told Purcell, said to come from the travelling community: “You besmirch you and your community that you could do such a thing.” But the judge added Purcell had no relevant previous convictions and had handed himself in to the police “rather than skulking in Ireland” like others were doing. David Leigh Jones, prosecuting, said that police were so concerned about the activities of the defendant and others within his community at the time that they set up a special surveillance operation. The gang went to the home of the 92-year-old victim who lived alone. What they were unaware of was the fact that police were watching, said Mr Leigh Jones. Officers attempted to follow their getaway car, an Audi A4, which the defendant got into. “But it was too quick for the police and it was lost,” Mr Leigh Jones explained. The defendant and another man were known to have fled to Ireland. Mr Leigh Jones said that the victim was a frail lady who had been shocked by what had happened. She had shown bravery but her son had told how it had left her nervous in her own home and she was now scared of letting people in. Peter Barnett, defending, said that his client had tagged along, was not the main participant, but accepted he went in and removed the money from the purse. Mr Barnett said that at the time his client was struggling with personal matters, started using cannabis, lived in a caravan at his mother's home and was susceptible. Purcell was married with five children, including young twins, and his wife had been found to have a heart condition following the birth. | 
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