Burglar who held machete to victim's neck jailed

A burglar who held a family at knife-point in their own home has been jailed.

Two men with their faces covered used a crowbar to smash their way into the home in Creswell, Derbyshire, on 30 October.

One of the men pushed one of the victims against a wall and held a machete to his neck before leaving with what Derbyshire Police called "a significant amount of money" in the family's Range Rover.

Jack Holland, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, later admitted being the man with the machete and on Wednesday at Derby Crown Court, the 28-year-old was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison.

The trail that led officers to Holland started with the discovery of the abandoned Range Rover in Dinnington, South Yorkshire, later the same day, police said.

While being recovered, the force said a Volkswagen car "screeched past" the scene and after officers pursued and stopped the vehicle, two men were found with cash, a crowbar and a burner phone.

Following an investigation including CCTV footage, forensic checks on clothing and mobile message analysis, both were arrested, with officers suspecting Holland to have held the blade to the victim's neck.

Holland, of Howard Street, gave a no comment interview but later admitted aggravated burglary.

Police said no further action was taken against the second man due to lack of evidence.

Insp Ryan McVeigh, who led the investigation, said: "Burglary has far-reaching effects for victims and I would like to reassure the public that our dedicated team of officers will continue to work round-the-clock to target offenders to ensure they feel the full force of the law."

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