Two men who broke into a property in Bodmin armed with 12-inch kitchen knives last September have been jailed after appearing at Truro Crown Court

Ryan Cook, 37, of no fixed abode, was jailed for six years and one month and Haydn Williams, 23, of no fixed abode, was jailed for five years and six months.

The pair were sentenced on charges of aggravated burglary with intent to steal after breaking into a property in the Launceston Road area of Bodmin in the evening of Monday, September 19, 2022 armed with knives and demanding money.

The court heard how one of the female occupants of the property had expected Williams to come to the property as she had agreed that he could come around to pick up a bag of food.

However, after fetching the bag, she was taken by surprise when Cook also appeared as she was handing over the bag.

Both men then forced their way through the door and demanded money, with Cook said to have placed an arm against the woman’s neck and holding a 12-inch knife in the other hand pointing at her neck.

After screaming out for help, the other female occupant of the property came out from the living room, where after a scuffle ensued, the second woman sustained a cut to her hand as she tried to get the knife away from her friend’s face.

Both men left the address towards the direction of the nearby Asda store after the woman who had answered the door was able to grab the arms of Williams and headbutt him before punching Cook in the face.

Officers from Bodmin Police Station located the two men on Love Lane after a search of the area, where they were arrested.

Police described how a doorbell camera at a nearby property overlooking the victims’ address was crucial to the investigation, saying: “A doorbell camera at a nearby property, overlooking the victims’ address, proved crucial to investigators as footage showed a male at the door - with a second male standing around the corner. The second male then ran to the front door with an object in his hand and both males went into the address before the door was shut.

“The footage also showed the males exiting the address a short while later and out of camera view.”

Detective Constable David Squire, who led the investigation into the men’s crimes said: “This case shows that having good CCTV and doorbell footage at your home address assist the police in prosecuting violent offenders who commit acts in broad daylight.

“The footage clearly shows the offence and was key in prosecuting the defendants who have received a significant prison sentence.”