A 17-YEAR-OLD Bradford youth has been sentenced for his part in a string of group house burglaries, robbery and attempted burglaries.

In the first incident, the youth was part of a group of five males who stole car keys for an Audi SQ2 worth £28,000 belonging to a woman after they had entered her house in Hipperholme.

The group were captured on the home’s CCTV and its patio doors were smashed in by the group to gain entry.

The homeowner, who was in an upstairs bedroom at the time, heard cupboards and doors being opened and closed.

Two of the group then entered the bedroom where the woman was. One of the men said they did not want to hurt her and just wanted her car keys. She went through her bag trying to find her car keys, which she gave to the men.

The woman’s Audi was then stolen by the group and they drove off. The woman phoned the police. The gang initially stole her mobile phone, which she later found dumped on her garden in the incident, on September 3 last year.

The youth was then part of a group that took part in an attempted burglary at a house on Carrbottom Road, Little Horton, Bradford, on September 10, 2020.

Just minutes later on September 10, 2020, the youth was part of a gang of four males that committed a burglary at a house in Enfield Walk, Bradford.

The group stole a safe which contained between £300 to £400, jewellery worth £700 and two Armani watches. The safe was later hidden in wasteland.

The youth was involved in an attempted burglary at an address in Thorpe Lane, Guiseley, on October 28, 2020. The group drove off in a black BMW, which was stolen from a property in Bingley five days before, after being spotted by the homeowner.

A police chase involving the black BMW, which now had cloned number plates, followed and the car was speeding and lost control and went down an embankment.

The group were later found hiding in some bushes by police using a drone.

Judge Andrew Hatton sentenced the youth to a total of four-and-a-half years detention. He will serve half of that sentence in custody and then be released to serve the second half of the sentence on licence.

The youth was made the subject of a youth rehabilitation order in April 2020 for Hanoi-style house burglaries where the homeowner’s car keys are stolen. The group wore masks, balaclavas and face coverings during the various house raids.

The youth received no separate penalty for an affray at a young offenders’ institution where he was part of a gang of three inmates who injured two officers in the attack in early 2020.

Jayne Beckett, mitigating, said: “In his still younger days there was a real fear he was being exploited by those older than him.”

She added the motivation for his offending was financial, but he is now trying to take responsibility for his actions.