A BURGLER who sexually assaulted a frail 81-year-old woman in her own home has "blighted her twilight years", a court heard today. (Mon)

And as well as molesting his terrified victim and placing a ball in her mouth to keep her quiet, Anthony Shackleton stole her purse containing an irreplaceable gold bracelet - the last present given to her by her son before he was murdered.

A judge ruled that the defendant, who was high on drink and drugs when he raided the sheltered accommodation complex on the Wirral, is a dangerous offender and put him behind bars for five years and ten months and imposed a four year extended licence.

“The burglary of a dwelling home would have been despicable enough in the circumstances but you went on in the course of the burglary to commit a sexual assault on the victim.

“What dark deviant impulse led you to do that is hard to glean,” said Judge Robert Trevor-Jones.

After hearing poignant impact statements from the victim and her devastated daughter read to Liverpool Crown Court, the judge said that as far as the pensioner is concerned “You have blighted the rest of her days.”

Her daughter told how her bed-bound mum had been so distressed after the attack that she had to be rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties and doctors feared she might not survive the next 24 hours.

Following the burglary overnight on May 30 she has been hospitalised on two more occasions and although moved to a nursing home her personality has changed and she is now withdrawn.

33-year-old Shackleton, of  Queens Drive, Prenton, Wirral, who has previous convictions including burglaries, pleaded guilty to burglary and sexual assault and had another burglary at an Upton care home three days earlier taken into consideration.

Robert Dudley, prosecuting, said that the victim was in an assisted living accommodation in Woodchurch and slept in her living room. She was awoken to find an intruder wearing a hoodie over his head standing over her.

He shouted at her and she told him to get out but he refused and thumped her on the back before sexually assaulting her.

He put something in her mouth to keep her quite – she describes them as being "little golf balls.”

He put the lights on and went through her wardrobe and chest of drawers, stealing her purse containing the bracelet. He held her down, put a flannel over her face and slapped her face leaving a red mark.

When her carers arrived at midnight they found her door, usually open, was locked and when they got in found her in touch with her careline providers.

The police were called and the next morning the purse was found - empty - in a nearby bin. They also found a discarded vape with Shackleton’s DNA on it.

Shackleton, 33, of Queen’s Drive, Prenton was charged in June 2023 with burglary, attempted theft with violence and sexual assault on a female. He later pleaded guilty to all offences.

He was sentenced today (Monday, October 23) at Liverpool Crown Court.

Christopher Stables, defending, said that Shackleton, who had his hair in a bun and showed no emotion, “is embarrassed about what he did and bitterly regrets it.”

He had a difficult childhood and had struggled with drink and drug abuse. “The need to fund his addictions drove him to commit crime, the too familiar story,” said Mr Stables.

“He had taken drink and drugs before the offence and that impaired his recollection of events and undoubtedly had some disinhibiting effect.”

Shackleton received a five years and 10 months custodial sentence with an added four years to be served on licence on his release. He is also on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Speaking after the sentencing Detective Inspector Kevin O’Rourke said: “This was an incredibly shocking crime on a vulnerable person that no one should ever experience.

“At first Shackleton denied that he sexually assaulted his victim and only admitted to the crime when samples of his DNA was found on the woman's clothing following further forensic analysis. 

“Shackleton then pleaded guilty to both offences. 

“I hope this case stands as a stark warning to anyone who takes advantage of vulnerable people in such heinous circumstances, that they will be prosecuted and face a considerable amount of time behind bars.

“Burglary offences have decreased year on year across Merseyside thanks largely to our officers involved in Operation Castle, an operation targeted at reducing burglaries, bringing offenders to justice, and ultimately sparing residents the anguish of being a victim of burglary.

“We will continue to work proactively with communities and our partners to keep this progress going.”

 

You can report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences anonymously here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/how-to-report-rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/

You can also pass information via the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org