Man jailed after he tied up and gagged Peterborough pensioner in his own home during violent robbery

George Whitelaw, 43, of Earl Spencer Court, Peterborough, gained access to the property in Holmes Way, Paston, on March 11 at about 7.30am by posing as a surveyor and then forcing entry after the 66-year-old victim opened the door.

He forced the victim to the floor and proceeded to drag him upstairs to a bedroom where he demanded cash and jewellery.

After handing over his wallet and cash, the victim had his hands and legs tied together with a cable from a phone charger and a shirt and was also gagged with an apron.

After the offender had left, the victim managed to untie himself and call the police. Officers were able to identify Whitelaw from CCTV images which showed him using the victim’s bank card in Tesco Express and ASDA.

Following his arrest, items belonging to the victim were found in Whitelaw’s home address.

Yesterday (Thursday, April 20), Whitelaw appeared at Peterborough Crown Court and pleaded guilty to robbery, fraud, two counts of possession of class A drugs and breaching a suspended sentence. He was jailed for a total of five years and three months and also ordered to pay a surcharge of £170.

Detective Constable Liam Sweeney said: “This was a vicious attack on a vulnerable man which has left him very shaken.

“Burglary and violence can leave lasting effects on victims, and Whitelaw’s prison sentence shows both police and the Crown Prosecution Service take these matters very seriously”.

A second man was also involved in this offence and he has yet to be identified by police.

Anyone with information about the robbery should call police on 101.

Whitelaw was sentenced to four years for robbery, six months for fraud, six months for possession of a clas A drug and three months for breach of a suspended sentence order, all to run consecutively.