Pair targeted home of a 92-year-old man

Two burglars who were caught red-handed in the home a 92-year-old man in the middle of the night have been jailed for a total of 11 years.

Harrow Crown Court heard Nicolae Palici, 43, and 36-year-old Liviu Dorin, broke into the elderly man’s home in Wembley Park on January 7 at 2am.

Luckily, the victim woke up and barricaded himself into his bedroom before alerting a neighbour who called the police.

The neighbour had a spare set of keys so was able to let the police in without alerting the pair.

After a brief struggle, both men were arrested and one was found to be in possession of a knife and a knife taken from the victim’s kitchen was found nearby.

Both men, of no fixed address, who had denied aggravated burglary, were found guilty on June 15.

Palici was sentenced to five years in jail and Dorin six.

PC Cyntac Wong from Brent Police said: “The victim’s quick thinking has certainly avoided a much more serious incident because these men armed themselves with knives when they entered and were prepared to use them to injure him or threaten him.”