A man attempted to burgle a home and told the owner he was thirsty, shocking her
Cwmbran: So, there’s this guy, Gareth Jones, who tried to break into a house. He got caught by the homeowner and awkwardly said he just wanted a glass of water. Can you believe that?
This all went down in the early hours of September 6. Jones was out and about, trying to burgle homes in the area. He finally ended up at a house on Newport Road the next morning.
The homeowner had her bifold doors open when she spotted him climbing over her back wall. He casually walked through the garden, but when she confronted him, he claimed he was just thirsty. Talk about a strange excuse!
She wasn’t having any of it, though. She shut the doors and told him through the glass that she wouldn’t give him a drink. After that, he just left. But the whole thing really shook her up.
The woman said it affected her family a lot. They now feel unsafe and can’t enjoy their garden like they used to. It’s sad how one incident can change everything.
Before this bizarre encounter, Jones had already tried to break into several other homes. He even smashed a window at one place. The homeowner there heard him say he didn’t think anyone was home. Yikes!
Thanks to some CCTV footage and calls from neighbors, the police were alerted. One resident even spent £1,400 on a new security system after Jones tried to break in. But the emotional toll on families was even worse; kids were scared and sleeping together.
Jones, who’s homeless, pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted burglary. He’s got a pretty long rap sheet with 32 convictions for 66 offenses, including drug charges and harassment.
His lawyer said Jones wasn’t being very clever about it. He was just trying doors, and there was no violence involved when he met homeowners. But the judge pointed out that there was some planning involved, especially since people were home during the attempts.
The judge told Jones that burglaries leave people feeling violated and uneasy. It’s tough to feel safe in your own home after something like that. In the end, Jones got 15 months in prison, with half of it to be served on license.
