Ipswich robbers jailed for 'utterly appalling and heartless' raid on 89-year-old in his home

Two men who smashed their way into the home of an 89-year-old man in the middle of the night before robbing him, have been jailed.

Suffolk Police described the robbery as "utterly appalling and heartless".

Lee Corani, 40, and Christopher Cullen, 45, used a brick to break into the house in Ipswich before grabbing the elderly resident and demanding cash.

Corani and Cullen, both of Ipswich, admitted carrying out the raid at the house in Cliff Lane earlier this year.

The victim was woken at around 3:30am by a banging noise at the front door and looked out of his window to find two men outside.

They pretended to be the police in an attempt to get him to open the door.

A third man, who was standing across the road, was then told to find a brick and he subsequently handed something over to the other two men.

This was then used to smash the glass in the front door. Once inside, one of the men grabbed the victim and demanded he told them where he kept his money.

The other man searched through drawers in the bedroom and kitchen.

They eventually found some banknotes before walking off down the road with the third person.

Police said the victim was left 'very shaken' and sustained a bruise to his arm, but was otherwise unharmed.

Det Con Eilish Currie said: “The crime committed by Corani and Cullen against an elderly man was utterly appalling and heartless.

“To choose to subject this man to such a terrifying ordeal in the middle of the night for the sake of a sum of cash is completely inconceivable.

"Only cowards prey on vulnerable people and that is exactly what these two men are.

“I hope the sentence given by the court causes both defendants to realise the gravity of the crime they have committed and deters them from committing further offences in the future.”

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