Gang of armed teens 'targeted house three times'

An aggravated burglary victim said he was left with a "scar on his memory" after being held at gunpoint, trapped in a toilet and fleeing to a neighbour's house.

Three teenagers have been jailed after three burglaries which led to a police chase at 120mph along the A303 in Wiltshire.

The trio, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty in February to the burglaries in Fisherton de la Mere, near Warminster in December 2023.

Police called it a "harrowing incident" following the sentencing at Salisbury Crown Court.

'Fled in bare feet'

In a statement read to the court, a victim said they walked into their kitchen "to be faced by a masked man wearing a hat and pointing a handgun directly at me".

They said they wanted to stall for time, so told the masked teenager that they need to use the loo.

"He then closed me in the loo, using a chair to block the door shut.

"I decided that I needed to escape, and as soon as I detected he was no longer outside the door, I managed to wriggle the chair free."

"I then fled from the house in bare feet, to my next-door neighbour."

The victim called the police from their neighbour's house.

"The memory of the gang's intrusions will remain a scar on my memory for a very, very long time to come," they added.

Wiltshire Police were called when the victim escaped and fled to a neighbour's house

On 11 December 2023, two of the three defendants targeted a home in the village, stealing a BMW.

Then on 23 December, the pair came back to the same property with an additional teenager, breaking into a garage, taking a number of items, including a chainsaw, golf clubs and a hedge trimmer.

Finally, on 27 December, they broke into the house again and stole another car.

Police said there was a 15-minute chase of speeds up to 120mph along the A303 which ended at Berwick St James.

One of the teenagers was only 14 at the time.

'Long-lasting impact'

PC Jack Williams, from Wiltshire Police's Burglary and Serious Youth Gang Violence Team said: "This was a harrowing incident. The group targeted this house not once, but three times over a short period.

"It is this kind of situation which can have a long-lasting impact on the victim and affect their sense of security and privacy in their own home, a place where they should feel completely safe" he added.

All three teenage boys were sentenced for aggravated burglary and having a firearm with intent.

The 16-year-old boy was sentenced to more than three years in prison.

A 15-year-old boy was sentenced to nearly three years imprisonment.

The boy who was 14 - now 15 - was jailed for more than three years and also was guilty of dangerous driving, having a bladed article in a public place and possession of cannabis.

PC Williams said: “We take burglaries incredibly seriously.

"In line with our force priority of reducing the number of burglaries across Wiltshire, we have a dedicated burglary unit whose role it is to ensure that burglars are brought to justice before the courts."