Albanian burglars targeted home of former Aston Villa and Birmingham City footballer

Two Albanian burglars have been jailed for 56 months each after targeting seven properties, including the home of a former Aston Villa and Birmingham City footballer.

Denis Puka, 28, and Erisjan Laska, 29 – together with a third unidentified man, went on a break-in spree on three successive nights last June.

Judge Steven Everett, the Honorary Recorder of Chester, labelled their operation “sophisticated and well-planned” as they booked an Airbnb room in Warrington and travelled from outside the area to use it as a base from which to commit their offences.

Their chosen vehicle was a Seat Leon, transported from Sheffield, which was fitted with three false registration plates during the raids – mainly in Cheshire.

The defendants also equipped themselves with masks, tools and walkie-talkies, Chester Crown Court heard.

The home of former Aston Villa and Blues player Scott Hogan - who is now Milton Keynes Dons’ forward - in Northwich, Cheshire, was among the properties picked out between June 5 and 7.

Mr Hogan, 33, was woken by torchlight shining through his bedroom window at about 11.30pm on June 7.

Prosecutor Nardeen Nemat said the footballer’s then-pregnant wife and his young daughter were also in the house at the time.

She said: “The defendants climbed over the fence and into the garden. One defendant climbed onto the shoulder of another and climbed up the trellising on the house to reach the bedroom window.

“Mr Hogan was in his bedroom when he was woken up by a torch light shining through his bedroom window. He looked out and saw three males on the ground.

“Mr Hogan ran after the males but the males ran away.”

Nothing was stolen, said the prosecutor, but Mr Hogan had since installed a new security system to protect his young family.

‘Sleepless nights full of stress and anxiety’

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mr Hogan said the incident had “led to many sleepless nights full of stress and anxiety”.

He added:” I can’t put into words completely what a dramatic effect this has had on me and my family.”

Two addresses in Blackpool, Lancashire, were previously targeted on the late evening of June 5, with the defendants gaining access to one of the properties and ransacking every room except the bedroom where their victims were sleeping, although nothing was stolen on either occasion.

The defendants struck at properties in Grappenhall, Knutsford and Northwich the following night.

They again left empty-handed from the first two raids after they were disturbed, but stole a Breitling watch and a Rolex watch – worth £9,000 in total – from a mansion house in Northwich while the householders were away on holiday.

Ms Nemat said the men went on to purchase crowbars from B&Q in Warrington on June 7 ahead of the next two targets – a mansion house in Warrington, which they fled after they were disturbed, and Mr Hogan’s home.

Seat Leon recovered from a housing estate

The defendants were arrested after the Seat Leon was recovered from a housing estate in Warrington more than a week later with various items found inside including mobile phones, clothing worn by the defendants, tools and the false registration plates.

Sentencing the pair on Tuesday, Judge Everett told them: “What is clear is that this was a sophisticated, well-planned conspiracy.

“Each of you should understand the sheer devastation you caused by your selfish and despicable acts.

“Mr Hogan was woken up by a torch in his face. What a frightening and terrible experience that must have been.”

He noted the pre-sentence report of Laska had indicated he was “minimising his offences”.

The judge told Laska: “You just want to blame everybody else. I’m quite sure you feel hard done by.

“It is time you woke up and understood the sheer trauma caused by what you did.”

‘Home Office application pending at the moment’

The court heard Laska, who has one previous conviction for two minor driving offences, is a father of two young children who is married to a British woman, with “a Home Office application pending at the moment”.

Phil Astbury, defending Puka, said his client has been given indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

He said: “He has no previous convictions and is said to come from a very decent family. His mother is shocked by what he has done.

“He is a young man of positive good character with a good work record who contributes to the community in every way.”

Laska, of Eccles Street, Sheffield, and Puka, of Parliament Street, Crediton, Devon, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to seven counts of conspiracy to commit burglary.