A Warrington mother of three has spoken of her relief that two men, who broke into her home armed with a hammer, in a bid to steal puppies, are now behind bars.
Sarah Knight, whose three children were aged between 6-13 at the time of the incident, including an 11-year-old autistic daughter, says her family was left traumatised by the event and she has since suffered with mental health problems.
While she says no sentence would be long enough for what her family went through, they can now move on with their lives.
Shane Gabriel, 33, of Quarry Street, Padiham and Ryan Williamson, 40, of Dorset Street, Burnley, were both jailed for 40 months at Chester Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to commit burglary and affray.
They were also handed a restraining order banning them from contacting the victim.
The two men forced their way into an address in Fearnhead at around 10pm on 4 September 2019 and threatened the victim with a hammer in an attempt to steal a litter of puppies.
They searched the house disturbing her children and after failing to find the puppies, fled the scene.
Mum of three Sarah Knight, who knew Gabriel as the brother of a former family friend, said:” I am glad they are now behind bars where they belong. We as a family can now move on. My children were threatened with the hammer too, they went into a bedroom where my then 6yr old was sleeping and her older brother was protecting her.
Sarah added:” There had been a failed attempt several nights before they successfully got into the house. They smashed the back door with a hammer and came straight into the living room where I was sat.
“Gabriel had gloves and a balaclava on, he was holding a hammer in the air shouting “wheres the pups, wheres the pups” my autistic daughter who was only 11 at the time came into the room, hit Gabriel on the back of the head with a
stapler and ran to her brother and sister upstairs. Gabrial followed her, she went into one room and Gabriel went into what he knew was the master bedroom.
“His family had been friends of ours and he knew the house layout. Once in the bedroom he was face to face with my 13-year-old son and six-year-old daughter.
“He used my sons name asking where the pups were.
“During this time the other guy came in, shouted “wheres the pups” and I said ‘outside’. He ran out looking for them. I wasn’t about to tell them where they were.
“It was 10pm, dark, clearly not going to be outside. Gabriel came downstairs and they ran out of the back gate.
“This was all over a litter of puppies. The family had let me use their stud dog on two bitches. One bitch lost the full litter, two weeks later the litter in question was born.
“The family wanted a bitch of a certain colour back. My girl only had 5 boys, none the colour they wanted.
“They became aggressive when they found out the litter was born and they hadn’t been informed. The litter was two hours old when I let them know of their safe arrival.
“I asked what they wanted back, again it was confirmed a black/tan bitch nothing else.”
Sarah added:”This was only breeding for myself to get a puppy from my girl. The ones I sold went to friends in Wales and one down south.”
“My children have been traumatised. It has taken many months to get them to come into the living room once it goes dark. It was only three months ago I found my middle child shaking stood in the middle of the room in tears.
“She could hear banging outside and the flood light was on. She told me she thought they were coming back. No adult, never mind a child, should be frightened in their own home.
“The two of them knew I was a single parent with three children. All have various needs to add into their lives.
“I myself have struggled massively, the incident has affected my own mental health greatly.
“No sentence would be long enough after putting myself and children through this.”
Men who threatened woman with hammer in bid to steal puppies both jailed
