Burglar found on victim’s sofa surrounded by half-eaten Easter eggs

A family found a burglar sitting on their sofa at 7am surrounded by half-eaten Easter eggs and wearing their socks on his hands.

David Potham was fast asleep, and didn’t stir until police arrived and woke him up.

He had stolen earrings in his trouser pocket, and a rucksack full of the family’s possessions including children’s passports and a laptop.

There was also an empty box which had contained an engagement ring, though the ring itself was missing and has never been found. 

Swansea Crown Court heard the two young girls who live in the house were ‘terrorised’ by the experience of having an intruder in their home, and have been left worried that he will return.

The defendant has more than 140 previous offences on his record including 23 burglaries, but his barrister told the court his client wants to change his life.

James Hartson, prosecuting, told the court that on May 24 this year a family living in Port Tennant, Swansea, locked up their house and went to bed as usual.

But the next morning, the male victim went downstairs to find the front and back doors were open.

He saw a stranger sleeping on the sofa in the living room with half-eaten Easter eggs and clothes scattered around.

The burglar – later identified as 40-year-old Potham – was woken up by officers when they arrived, saying to them: ‘I don’t understand’.

The court heard it is not known how or when the defendant gained entry to the property but that subsequent checks of CCTV footage from the area showed him nearby at 3.40am.

Potham, of Llanedeyrn in Cardiff, had previously pleaded guilty to burglary when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 56 previous convictions for 142 offences including 12 house burglaries and 11 non-dwelling burglaries.

Tom Roberts, for Potham, said he had relocated to Swansea from Cardiff shortly before the incident in part to make a ‘fresh start’ but had found, in his clients’ own words, that ‘there are drugs everywhere’.

He said following his move to Swansea Potham had relapsed back into the use of Valium but wished to break the cycle of drugs, offending and custody he was involved in, and would accept any help that was available.

Potham was sentenced to four years in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

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