Four men jailed now jailed for burglaries targeting vulnerable pensioners

Four men have been now been jailed for more than 32 years for a series of burglaries where vulnerable pensioners were targeted in Stoke-on-Trent in 2018.

Edward Delaney, 44, was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment in October 2018 for his part in the conspiracy to commit ten distraction burglaries. Detectives continued to pursue his co-accused; now all four have been jailed.

Michael Adam Purcell, 34, of Cromar Crescent, Wrexham was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment for nine burglaries. Johnny Christopher Delaney, 25, of no fixed address, was jailed for seven-and-a-half-years for ten burglaries and John William Moses Purcell, 31, of Priestfield Road, Ellesmere Port, was jailed for five years and seven months for three burglaries.

The remaining three were jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court last month.

The victims of the burglaries and attempted burglaries were aged between 72 and 95. In many of incidents, a man or two men would arrive at the property claiming to be from the water board or council. On four occasions, a quantity of cash was stolen. Thankfully, no-one was injured.

Detective Inspector Adrian Webb, of Staffordshire Police, said: “These men preyed on some of the most vulnerable people in the community and their crimes will have had serious effects on their victims.

“The sentences handed out reflect the callous nature of their crimes and it should act as a warning and a deterrent to thieves who seek to prey on the vulnerable in our society.”

Johnny Delaney