Man tried to rob vulnerable woman of her bike and then attempted to force his way into another terrified woman’s Leamington home

A man who tried to rob a vulnerable woman of her bike and then attempted to force his way into another terrified woman’s Leamington home has been jailed.

David Burke had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to charges of attempted robbery and using violence to gain entry to a property in Villiers Street, Leamington.

Burke (44) of no fixed address, who also admitted failing to register with the police as a sex offender on a weekly basis, was jailed for a total of 19 months.

Prosecutor Christopher O’Gorman said that Burke had 14 convictions for 29 offences on his record, including dwelling house burglary and assault with intent to rob.

And in 1997 he was jailed for nine years for robbery and indecent assault, as a result of which he was also required to register with the police as a sex offender for life.

But Mr O’Gorman pointed out: “Since then, an affray in 2009 and then no further convictions until April this year for theft from a motor vehicle.”

As a result of that, Burke was given a community order which was still in force on June 12.

That evening a woman had been out shopping in Leamington town centre and was pushing her bike along Villiers Street on her way home when she noticed Burke, who seemed intoxicated.

As the woman, described as being elderly, continued on her way, Burke approached her from behind and said he wanted her bike, offering her £150 for it.

When she refused, he began to pull it from her, but the woman held on, and there was something of a tug-of-war between them, during which she suffered a cut to her wrist.

A couple who heard her shout for help, came out of their home and were told by Burke that he wanted her bike and upped his offer to £170 before walking away as they called the police.

But he then approached a woman who was tending the front garden of her home further along Villiers Street and asked her something – but he was too drunk for her to understand.

She went inside and shut the door, but he came into the porch and began banging on the door, so she called the police and, as she was advised, went upstairs and locked herself in a bedroom.

As she waited for officers to arrive, she said it sounded as though Burke was using his full force to try to force the door open, but the police turned up before he had succeeded.

And afterwards she described the incident as terrifying, and said it had affected how safe she feels in her own home.

When Burke was interviewed, he said he had had 13 pints of Stella, and was drunk by the time he left the last pub and could not remember anything else, but accepted what he was told he had done.

Mr O’Gorman said that because Burke was homeless at the time, under the terms of his sex offender registration, he was required to register with the police every seven days.

He failed to do so and in June was jailed for 12 weeks - but following his release, and still homeless, he again failed to comply with the requirement until he was arrested in October for a public order matter, for which he was jailed for eight weeks.

Of the main offences, Stephen Cadwalladr, defending, said: “One must recognise the fear they felt.

“Equally, one cannot overlook the fact that there was no planning, and his drinking was not out of an intention to be anti-social, but a result of his straitened circumstances of being homeless. It may be said to be drinking to forget.

“Now sober, he is very, very sorry for the distress he caused to both of these ladies.”

Jailing Burke, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told him his first victim was an elderly lady who felt very threatened by him and was ‘physically shaking when she got home.’

And the second woman ‘found the incident of having her door very nearly smashed down terrifying.’

He added: “You have not committed a serious offence for some period, and you were in straitened circumstances, and were homeless and in drink.

“But the only sentence I can pass on you is one of immediate custody.”