A NUNEATON burglar has been jailed for almost nine years for a string of offences including aggravated burglary, theft of a moped, and possessing a knife in public.
Mitchell Peter Willison was also sentenced at Warwick Crown Court for possession of cannabis and criminal damage.
Willison, 27 of Tuttle Hill in Nuneaton, was jailed for eight years and 10 months.
He will also be required to pay a victims’ surcharge of £228.
In the early hours of Thursday, June 1, Willison and another man, both wearing balaclavas, gained access to the rear garden of a property on Stoneleigh Close in Nuneaton.
They then forced entry through the back door, before being confronted by the owner of the house on the stairs.
Willison threatened to ‘cut the victim’s throat’ and demanded he handed over the keys to his moped, along with any cash.
On receiving the keys and £10, Willison put on the victim’s helmet and rode off on the stolen moped.
Just 15 minutes later, at Tunnel Road, Willison was stopped by officers, where he was made to dismount the moped.
He attempted to hide in a bush but was discovered and arrested soon afterwards.
Willison claimed he was ‘in debt for sniffing coke’ which was his reason for being on the stolen vehicle.
Willison had a switchblade-style knife on him, as well as some cannabis.
Later that morning in the custody cells, Willison kicked the toilet, leading to it becoming detached from the wall.
For this, he received an additional charge for criminal damage under £5,000.
Investigating officer DC Dawson said: “Willison is going to be in exactly the right place for Willison for the next eight years and 10 months.
“This act of criminal violence is something that we will not ever tolerate in our communities, who should feel a bit safer in their homes today.
“This was an excellent result for our officers, who had Willison in custody only 35 minutes after he tried to make off with the victim’s property.”
