William Sheen from Ringwood was jailed for 18 months after attempted burglary of home on Gore Road in New Milton
A Forest man has been jailed after terrifying a woman while trying to break into her New Milton home.
William Sheen (27), of Clarks Close, Ringwood, went to the house in Gore Road just after 4pm on 21st November 2022.
The homeowner, who was out, was alerted by her video doorbell which notified her mobile phone, Southampton Crown Court heard.
This worried her, prosecutor Adrian Fleming told the court, because her adult daughter was home alone.
After being called by her mother, the daughter peered around the kitchen door to see Sheen outside rattling the door handle trying to get inside.
In a statement read to the court, she said: “I was really scared – my heart dropped [when I saw him].
“I screamed at my mum to get home and I ran to my bedroom.
“I was still so scared when my mum and dad got home.”
At the time of the offence, Sheen had been on bail while officers investigated an assault and non-dwelling burglary, Mr Fleming explained.
On 17th September 2022 Sheen had been in Hightown Road, Ringwood, with friends when he approached a man heading to the town’s carnival.
He told him “I’m going to have to touch you up” before trying to take the victim’s bag and warning that he would “smash his eyebrows off”.
After a short struggle, Sheen was led away by a friend and the victim contacted the police, who arrested Sheen later that day.
Just over a month later, on 30th October, Sheen was caught on CCTV breaking into the Secret Parlour Hair Boutique in New Milton.
He caused around £1,500 of damage and carried out a “thorough search”, but nothing was taken.
The court heard Sheen left tools at the scene, including bolt croppers, which had his DNA on them.
Sheen, who has previous convictions for dishonesty, shoplifting and violence, was jailed in January 2023 for 28 months for four burglaries.
He previously pleaded guilty to assault, non-dwelling burglary and attempted burglary.
Defending, Aleks Lloyd told the court Sheen had used his time in custody to obtain certificates from various courses.
His offending was rooted in substance misuse, he explained, but said while in prison Sheen had been on a drug-free wing and attended Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous sessions.
He said the death of his father while he was in custody had impacted him and given him cause for reflection, adding: “He has dealt with his issues head-on and remained drug free. He has not fallen back into his old ways and he wants to get out of the circle he has been in.”
Sentencing Sheen, judge Christopher Parker KC told him: “Your offending became increasingly more serious as time went on.
“The [assault] victim was sufficiently perturbed to report the matter after you threatened to smash his eyebrows off.
“In the case of the non-dwelling burglary, you caused a significant amount of damage to the property of someone trying to make an honest living.
“After that, you committed your most serious offence when you tried to break into the house in Gore Road.”
He added: “You have no idea when you burgle a house who might be inside and how that might make them feel.
“What you can be sure of, is that they are going to be extremely frightened, and in the case of a woman alone, petrified. If someone had done this to your mother or sister, you’d be appalled.”
Turning to a letter written by Sheen, he said: “It is very hard to tell if a person in your situation is trying to pull the wool over or whether you genuinely wish to change a life of criminal behaviour at this stage.
“What I can see is you’ve done your best [in custody] to work towards a change in your life. I see also – and I hope it is true – that you have a degree of remorse and regret for your conduct and how it has affected others.
“The effects of someone being burgled in their own home can last for years. If this had been an older, more vulnerable person, they may have died from fright.”
Sheen was jailed for 16 months.
