Man caught on home CCTV entering vulnerable victim’s home in Bournemouth
A man was sentenced after he was caught on home CCTV entering a vulnerable man’s home in Bournemouth.
Nicholas Christian O’Byrne, aged 38 and of Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to burglary at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Late in the evening on Sunday 23 April 2023, reports were received of suspicious activity involving a man ringing the doorbell of houses and making efforts to speak to the occupants in the Townsend area.
Officers attended and located the man nearby. As they were speaking to him, officers were approached by the daughter of an elderly vulnerable man who recognised the defendant as the man who had stolen property from her parent’s house in Holdenhurst Village earlier in the evening.
It was later established that O’Byrne had approached the victim in the area of Tesco in Riverside Avenue and offered to walk him home.
When they reached the address, O’Byrne was seen on CCTV to enter the property and subsequently steal cash, a mobile phone and a camera.
He was sentenced to 14 months in prison at the same court on Wednesday 16 July 2025.
Detective Constable Steve Davis, of BCP CID, said: “O’Byrne preyed upon a vulnerable man under the guise of being a Good Samaritan.
“Due to the man’s vulnerabilities, there were cameras installed at the property, which showed O’Byrne entering to commit the despicable crime.
“This had a significant impact on the victim, who was understandably left feeling shocked and upset when he realised what had happened.
“We are committed to identifying burglars and ensuring we take a positive approach to bring offenders such as O’Byrne to justice.”
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