'Evil' Sheffield burglars beat dogs, stole girl's birthday presents and took 'lifetime of memories'

Yvette Phelan told how the intruders had struck on Monday, October 10, using a sledgehammer to force their way into her family home in Storrs. She said she had returned home at around 6pm that day with her teenage daughters to find the home ransacked and every room ‘trashed’, with furniture upended, drawers emptied and possessions strewn across the floor. The family’s two dogs had been beaten with a broom handle and had items including a weight and cutlery thrown at them, leaving them covered in lumps and shaking uncontrollably.

Mrs Phelan described how as she looked through the bedrooms she encountered a scene of ‘complete devastation’. The items taken included watches, jewellery and designer wear including coats, bags, purses and sunglasses which they had saved over a lifetime to afford and in many cases were of great sentimental value. Also gone was the bag of birthday presents for her youngest daughter, who turned 15 this week.

She said: “They’ve taken a lifetime of memories and stripped us of everything we’ve saved for over 52 years. We’ll never be able to replace what they’ve taken. The most evil thing was what they did to the dogs, who are family pets. When we walked in the dogs were cowering and they were covered in lumps and bumps. They’re still scared to go out or even leave our side, and they’re not sleeping.

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“My daughters haven’t been the same since what happened either and although they won’t admit it I know they’re really frightened and they don’t want to be at home alone. I feel distraught about what’s happened but most of all angry that anyone could do this with such complete disregard.”

Mrs Phelan said the stolen items included her husband’s Rolex Daytona Oysterflex watch which she had bought him for his 50th birthday, and a Rolex Sea Dweller James Cameron watch she gave him for their 25th wedding anniversary. She has asked people to look out for those items being sold locally, and she has urged anyone who knows anything or saw anything that day to call police.

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She said that it was only after the burglars struck that she learned there had been ‘30 to 40’ burglaries in the relatively small area of Storrs, Dungworth and Bradfield since spring this year. She told how the community there had been brilliant and residents would even go out at night themselves to investigate reports shared via the Neighbourhood Watch group of people acting suspiciously.

Sharing details of the crime on Facebook, she also had a message for the burglars, writing: “I hope no one else ever has to feel how you have made us all feel. I hope no other child wakes up on their birthday knowing that strangers have been in their bedroom, rifling through their personal belongings and stealing important trinkets that they have collected from their lives so far.”

Anyone with information is asked to call South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 710 of October 10.