A hostel for the homeless was the base for a group of teenage house-breakers who ransacked houses across the district, netting thousands of pounds of cash and valuables.

Stolen property, including jewellery, a camera, watches and electrical goods, was seized by police at the Keyhouse home in Richmond Street, Keighley, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Three young men living there were sentenced in connection with a series of house burglaries in the district in October and November last year.

Judge John Potter said householders at the attacked premises had suffered significant emotional harm and psychological distress.

The raiders deliberately smashed up people’s possessions before fleeing.

Peter Tatum, 19, was sentenced to 15 months in a young offender institution for burgling two houses.

Prosecutor Gillian Betts said Tatum and two 16-year-olds raided £5,800 of property from a house in Moss Carr Road, Long Lee, Keighley, in November.

Tatum was one of several burglars who attacked a house in Hebden Road, Haworth, on October 29.

A woman came home from work to a ransacked home, with deliberately smashed televisions and a wine bottle. In all, £2,000 damage had been done and property worth about £2,000, including rings of sentimental value, was gone.

Jordan Lang, 18, teamed up with a 16-year-old boy to raid a couple’s house in Occupation Lane, Oakworth, on November 4, getting away with property worth more than £10,000, including mountain bikes, £1,900 in cash and jewellery. He was sentenced to 21 months’ custody after also admitting a burglary while on bail in Robin Street, Canterbury, Bradford, on April 18.

His co-accused in that offence, Saffran Terry, 18, of Horton Park Avenue, Great Horton, was sentenced to six months’ custody suspended for 12 months.

A third hostel resident, Leroy Hepworth, 23, admitted handling goods from the Oakworth break-in and a £3,000 night-time burglary in Long Lee on October 26. He was sentenced to eight months’ in jail suspended for two years.

A 16-year-old girl who acted as look-out in the Moss Carr Road burglary, was sentenced to a 12-month Youth Rehabilitation Order and a 16-year-old boy will be sentenced later.

All the defendants pleaded guilty. None had any previous convictions except Hepworth, a talented footballer in the final stages of selection for the England six-a-side team.

The judge said he was confident staff at the Keyhouse did as much as they could to prevent residents causing harm.

  • Read the full story Thursday’s T&A