CCTV captures intruder in cat and mouse game with family

[OneStepCloser]

A family's chilling encounter

January 7, 2014, 6:18 pm Cassie Silver

Imagine this: you are sitting in your backyard late on New Year’s Eve ready to welcome in 2014, sipping champagne, with the kids inside watching television. But there is somebody else in your house, an unwelcome stranger creeping from room to room.<object id="flashObj" classid="clsid

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Sadly, this is a chilling true story and it has all been captured on camera.

Just minutes before midnight Penny and Fred Robotham were preparing to welcome in the new year with family and friends.

However, they were about to get a visit from an uninvited guest.

Fred said: “Penny came in to get some glasses and open some champagne at midnight. We were occupied, laughing and joking and celebrating and maybe that was the fine opportunity for him.

“You're just shocked you wouldn't think they'd be so brazen to come into the house while you were in the house twice.”

The Robotham family installed CCTV less than a year ago.

The chilling vision shows a handful of children relaxing in front of the television, just a few feet from an unfamiliar face.

“He probably looked at them, he had seen them and didn’t enter the room,” said Penny.

The cameras are supposed to act as an extra set of eyes on the home when the family are not there – but they never imagined they would be looking at video of an intruder who was just metres from them.

At nine minutes to midnight the camera captures an incredible break-in.

For the next seven minutes he is not visible and then at 11.59 he comes back into vision, this time with a screwdriver in hand.

Mum Penny is then seen walking down the corridor at one minute to midnight, narrowly missing coming face to face with the prowler by seconds.

She later admitted she felt ‘physically sick’ knowing someone was so close.

WA Police Acting Superintendant Roger Beer says these types of criminals will strike at any time.

“Some of our criminals are very brazen and they will prey on opportunities and look for vulnerability at any chance,” he said.

“Probably half of our burglary offences in the metro area are actually committed when people are home.”

Acting Superintendant Beer says avoiding confrontation is the key.

“There is a small proportion of these criminals that are willing to confront people inside their home and confrontation with these offenders is always a very bad thing.”

Back in the house this brazen burglar's night is drawing to a close but he's not leaving empty handed and takes off with phones and purses.

“Things can be replaced, people can’t,” adds penny.

“It is the fact that they were there with the kids in the room with adults walking past it could have been so much worse.”

To keep your family and home safe over the holidays it is recommended that you secure your home locking all doors and windows, remove all valuables from view, report any suspicious behaviour and avoid confrontation

“You need to be aware of the vulnerabilities of your property and how to keep it secure,” added Acting Superintendant Beer.