Man pretended to be part of charity to steal from elderly man

Darren John Lane, 46 and of no fixed address, pretended to be a charity worker to enter the victim’s home before returning a week later to steal more.  

The defendant appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday, January 4 to be sentenced for robbery and burglary from the same man.

On November 30, 2023, Lane told the victim, in his 70s, that he represented the landlord and a local charity, as a guise to enter the property in Boscombe.

Once inside, he claimed he needed money to stop local drug users approaching him, persuading the man to pull out an envelope of cash and attempt to give Lane £40.

However, the defendant grabbed the cash and fled.

Less than a week later, on December 6, Lane returned to the house while the victim was sleeping and used a ladder to climb through his bedroom window.

The man woke to see the defendant inside his room.

Lane attacked him and injured his eye.

The defendant threatened the man claiming he had a knife and demanded more cash.

Lane went downstairs and took an envelope of cash from the same drawer he had seen the victim take it from in the first incident, but dropped it as he left the property.

Through CCTV footage, officers identified the defendant getting in a taxi at a nearby taxi rank and the address he was taken to, where he was later arrested.

Detective constable Christian Bryant, of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Neighbourhood Enforcement Team, said: “Darren Lane targeted his victim on two occasions, putting him through two very distressing ordeals in less than a week.

“Through our investigative work, we were able to quickly identify Darren Lane as the culprit for these abhorrent offences and bring him before the court to face the consequences of his actions.

“We will continue to do all we can to ensure those who commit violent offences and target other people’s property are brought to justice.”

Lane was jailed for seven years.