Man charged with distraction burglary after 88-year-old woman in Hillside is targeted
Michael McDonough(55) was arrested on January 2 and charged with the burglary of dwelling in the Sandon Road and Liverpool Road area on December 6.
A man has been charged in connection with a number of distraction burglaries in Sefton – including one targeting an 88-year-old woman in Hillside.
Michael McDonough was arrested on January 2nd 2015 and charged with the burglary of a pensioner’s home.
The incident, allegedly involving Michael McDonough happened in the Liverpool Road and Sandon Road area of Hillside last month when a man targeted an 88-year-old woman’s home by pretending to be a bogus repair man.
McDonough Claimed that her roof tiles needed replacing, the offender then demanded that she hand over £184 for repairs.
After paying some of the money upfront, the woman agreed for the work to be done but later grew suspicious when she realised the man had not done any of the repairs.
When he returned a few days later on December 6 asking for more money, the woman refused to let him in and said she had called the police.
The man then put his foot in the door to stop her closing it, walked into her living room and stole her purse out of her handbag before running away.
McDonough appeared before Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates on January 3 and was remanded in custody for a preliminary hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on January 19.
Detective Sergeant Sue Demomme, who investigated the incident in Hillside, said: “Our advice to every resident is to never open the door to someone you don’t know without checking them out first and certainly never hand over money to someone who calls round claiming that repair work needs doing to your home.
“Always use a door chain when opening the door to a stranger, always ask them for identification first, and never hand over money or your bank details. Instead, ask them to leave and if you have any suspicions, call the police.
“I would also like to encourage people to look out for their neighbours this winter, particularly if they are vulnerable or elderly, and report anything untoward to the police.”
For more advice on staying safe visit www.merseyside.police.uk
If anyone has information call Sefton CID on 0151 777 3014 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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