Doncaster man jailed for more than six years over Barnsley burglary crimes

Felix Hanrahan, 41, formerly of Firth Crescent, Doncaster, was found guilty for three counts of burglary during a trial at Hull Crown Court.

Hanrahan was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for the crimes on Thursday, November 5.

The court heard how the 41-year-old committed three distraction burglaries between 17 to April 23 in Barnsley this year.

He pretended he’d completed building works for his victims, all of whom were elderly and vulnerable, saying he’d noticed their roofing tiles were loose.

In each case, he requested a small amount of money for the works completed but then, when the victims were distracted, he would steal much larger sums of money from their purses or wallets.

Officers released a public appeal for information to locate Hanrahan with CCTV stills in May and the 41-year-old was then identified, arrested and charged.

Detective Constable Sally Eyre said: “Hanrahan deliberately targeted elderly and vulnerable members of the community, using sly tactics to gain entry to their homes – even though two of his victims were in self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“He manipulated his victims, claiming he’d completed work for them and demanded payment.

"He’d then find some way of getting his victims to leave the room at which point he would steal significant sums of money from them.

“His behaviour is truly appalling and I am pleased he has been convicted and handed a jail term for his crimes.

"I am very grateful to the public, who provided vital information that allowed us to identify Hanrahan, bring him before the courts and secure justice.

“I want to take this opportunity to remind our communities about the dangers of distraction burglary.

"These criminals will try a variety of underhand tactics to fool their victims into letting them into their homes.

"If you have elderly or vulnerable relatives, friends or neighbours, please remind them that it is perfectly acceptable to challenge a doorstep caller, especially if you aren’t expecting anyone.

“We will not tolerate individuals who choose to exploit vulnerable members of our community and will take action to identify those involved in this type of criminality.”

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