A man has been jailed following a burglary at a house in Liverpool that left his victim with several injuries to his face earlier this year.
Lee Joseph Walsh, aged 51, of Liverpool was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for burglary today at Liverpool crown court.
At around 4.30am on Friday 15 April Walsh gained entry into an address on Wolstenholme Square and entered his victim’s bedroom.
The victim and her partner woke up to find Walsh in their room where a fight broke out that left the man with injuries to his face.
Walsh then fled the scene with the man’s wallet which he later used at a convenience store on Smithdown Road.
Extensive forensic evidence and CCTV footage in the city centre revealed Walsh’s last movements after the incident and he was arrested on Wednesday 8 June.
He was taken into custody for questioning and later charged with burglary offences.
Detective Sergeant Steven Byrom said, “Thanks to a vast amount of forensic evidence and CCTV footage recovered by our officers Walsh pleaded guilty to a crime that put his victims through a terrifying ordeal in their own home .
“Burglaries such as these can have a profound effect on the lives of victims, from the shock and unease felt by having somebody invade your home, the inconvenience of losing property, through to the often severe long-term psychological impacts.
“We hope that today’s sentence not only helps his victims, but also gives Walsh time to reflect on the harm he has caused while serving his sentence.
“Burglary offences have decreased year on year across Merseyside thanks largely to Operation Castle, an operation targeted at reducing burglaries, bringing offenders to justice, and ultimately sparing residents the anguish of being a victim of burglary.
“We will continue to work proactively with communities and our partners to keep this progress going.”
Click here for advice and protection against burglary: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/advice-and-protection/burglary-and-theft/ 
If you have CCTV, smart doorbell or dashcam footage of suspicious activity in your area but don’t know if it is linked to a specific offence, you can upload it online for the Merseyside Police Operation Castle team here: https://unitedkingdom1cpp-portal.digital-policing.co.uk/merseyside/appeal/castle
Your footage will be reviewed for potential links to reported offences in your area, and may help police gather evidence to solve burglaries and bring offenders to justice.
You can also report any concerns to police on 999 if a crime is in progress, via 101, or via Twitter @MerPolCC.
You can also pass information via the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org
Image: Merseyside Police
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