Yahoo News 'Dangerous' burglar jailed after stamping on the face of 70 year-old victim during break-in
A "dangerous" burglar who targeted a property twice in one week and stamped on the face of his elderly victim has been jailed for more than 15 years.
Mark Darcy, 33 and accomplice Sam Wood, 27, burgled a property on Beaver Road in Ashford, Kent, on Wednesday 9 October last year, where they stole a large quantity of cash.
But less than a week later, on 15 October, Darcy returned to the property where he and and another man forces their way inside.
While there they assaulted the home owner by stamping on his face and making threats at knife point before making off with more money.
The victim, a man in his 70s, was left with cuts and bruises which required hospital treatment.
During the second burglary, the offenders were heard to discuss which cabinets had already been searched during the first burglary.
Enquiries by the Chief Constable’s Crime Squad of Kent Police led to CCTV footage (pictured below) which showed Darcy and accomplice Wood leaving the property during the first burglary.
Darcy, of Cauldham Close, Folkestone, previously admitted counts of burglary, aggravated burglary and possession of a knife at Canterbury Crown Court.
Wood, of no fixed address, admitted burglary, and possession of a knife in a public place after he was found with a Stanley knife when arrested.
On Friday, Darcy was jailed for 15 years and nine months, and Wood for two years and seven months.
Following sentencing, detective constable Mike Kingwell of the Kent Police Crime Squad said: “The determination to steal - and level of violence shown - by Mark Darcy is extraordinarily worrying and demonstrates just how dangerous he is."
"He showed no remorse as he returned to the scene of the burglary days later, and to be able to threaten and assault a man in his 70s is abhorrent and it is no surprise the judge took such a dim view of the incident.
"I am glad he is in prison as he, and his co-defendant Wood, simply do not deserve anything else."
