A burglar who gagged a disabled widow causing her to have an asthma attack during a raid on her home has had his custodial sentence cut by top judges.

Richard Markham was one of three thugs who broke into the 57-year-old woman’s house in Wolverhampton last December.

The 20-year-old, of Neve Avenue in Low Hill, was sentenced to four years in youth custody in June after pleading guilty to burglary at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Following an appeal by his lawyers, top judges, Mr Justice Jack and Judge Martin Stephens QC, reduced the sentence to three years at London’s Court of Appeal.

Giving the judgment, Mr Justice Jack told the court how the sleeping victim had been alerted by her dogs.

She went to look and was pushed into a bedroom where she was held down with a gloved hand over her mouth, causing her to suffer an asthma attack.

One of the men brought her an inhaler, but then all three left with a Nintendo console and two phones.

Police caught Markham outside, but the others escaped.

Probation officers who interviewed Markham said that, although he accepted responsibility, he showed little insight into his behaviour.

Yesterday his lawyers argued that a four-year sentence for a young man of previous good character was “manifestly excessive”.

Mr Justice Jack said: “We consider that, taking account of the appellant’s age and his previous good character, a sentence of four-and-a-half years would have been appropriate following a trial.

“That will be reduced to three years to take account of his guilty plea.”

At the original hearing in June, Judge Rosalind Bush heard how the widow continued talking to her attackers.

She told them her husband had just died and the thugs replied: “He must have left you money then.”

By Shaun Lintern