Men plead guilty to burglary in Rickmansworth

Two men have pleaded guilty to a Rickmansworth burglary in which jewellery was stolen.

Johnny Doherty, aged 23, of Tramway Avenue, Edmonton, London, and Patrick Hanrahan, aged 20, of Bath House Close, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, appeared at St Albans Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 20 July) for a plea hearing.

Doherty pleaded guilty to burglary, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, and escape from lawful custody. He has been recalled to prison ahead of sentencing.

Hanrahan pleaded guilty to burglary and assault of an emergency worker. He has been released on bail with strict conditions and is subject to electronic monitoring.

Both are scheduled to be sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Monday 18 September.

The pleas relate to a burglary on Tuesday 20 June, when Doherty and Hanrahan were caught red-handed by police as they ransacked a property in The Clump.

Officers from the Intervention team and Safer Neighbourhood Team responded to a call from an eagle-eyed member of the public, who reported seeing two men acting suspiciously around a property.

When the teams arrived at the location, they disturbed the pair in action. They made off from police but were quickly detained, and during the arrest a PCSO and a PC were assaulted, however they required no medical treatment.

Stolen jewellery was recovered and detectives are in the process of returning it to the elderly victim.

Detective Constable Vanessa Gottmann, who investigated the incident, said: “We are pleased that both Doherty and Hanrahan have pleaded guilty to this offence, which was committed against a vulnerable member of the community.

“Again, we’d like to thank the member of the public who called us when they spotted suspicious behaviour. They trusted their instincts which enabled us to respond immediately and prevent someone becoming a victim of crime. If you think you’re witnessing a crime in progress, always call it in on 999.

“We now await the sentencing of Doherty and Hanrahan in September.”