Man who robbed and burgled string of vulnerable victims in Cambridge is jailed

A man who robbed and burgled a string of vulnerable victims including a partially sighted man and a 92-year-old woman across Cambridge has been jailed for more than six years.

Shaun Holland robbed one person, burgled a home, stole two handbags and a bike over a three-week period in September last year.

The 35-year-old’s spree started on September 8 when he targeted a partially sighted 79-year-old man who was walking along Vinery Road.

Holland robbed him by pulling his wallet from his trouser pocket causing him to fall over and cut his face and hands.

He snatched a handbag from the trolley of an 88-year-old woman in Histon Road on September 13.

Five days later on September 18, Holland stole a satchel from an 83-year-old woman who was sitting on a bench by the river bank. He was chased by a member of the public and then police and discarded the bag before making off on a bike he had stolen from Corona Road.

A 92-year-old woman from Cherry Hinton Road was his next victim on September 22 when he broke into her home and crept into her bedroom, while she was in the house, to steal cash and a handbag.

Holland then attempted to rob a bike from a woman on Pool Way and assaulted a police officer two days later.

Holland was captured on CCTV in the area at the times the offences were happening and could either be seen holding the stolen items or matched the descriptions given by officers and the victims. When he was arrested he was also wearing clothing that had been seen in the images.

At Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday (March 10), Holland, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison after previously pleading guilty to robbery, burglary, two counts of theft, theft of a bike, assaulting an emergency worker and attempted robbery.

Detective constable Henry Longhurst, from the acquisitive crime team, said: “Holland is a serial offender with previous convictions for robbery and burglary.

“He targets elderly and vulnerable people, violating their homes and personal space for his personal gain. The streets of Cambridgeshire are now safer with him behind bars.”