A MOTHER from Cam has apologised for her son's “horrendous” actions after he traumatised a 91-year-old man by robbing him at his home.

Wendy Smith told the Gazette her son Kevin McLarnon deserved longer in prison than the six years he was given.

McLarnon, of Nouncells Cross, Stroud, spent an hour in William Lewis’s home, threatening him and searching for goods.

When the 39-year-old eventually left, he had stolen Mr Lewis’s wallet and bank cards and his late wife and late sister’s jewellery.

Lewis became ill after the ordeal and had to move out of his family home of more than 40 years to live in residential care.

Mrs Smith, who works as a carer in Dursley, told the Gazette: “What my son has done is absolutely horrendous.

“I would like to apologise so much to the family of Mr Lewis. It is just awful what he has done and I say that as a carer too.

“If there is anything I could do for the family of Mr Lewis, I would do it."

She said her son had a drug problem.

On Friday, Gloucester Crown Court heard McLarnon had 58 previous offences and was a ‘third strike’ burglar.

He received a four-year jail term for burglary in 2003.

After coming out of prison for burglary offences in 2014, McLarnon went to live with his mother in Cam where he stayed out of trouble for seven months.

“The biggest mistake he made was moving to Stroud,” said Mrs Smith, aged 57.

“He got in with the wrong crowd and when he is in trouble he shuts us out.

“This is the worst he has done though. None of the other offences have harmed people.

“I was horrified to hear what he had done and his siblings are horrified too.

“He is very lucky to have only got six years. I would have liked it to have been longer.”

Mrs Smith said her son had been taking drugs for several years but his problems had worsened since moving to Stroud.

She admitted that she did not know whether he would be able to stay out of crime when he is released from prison.

McLarnon pleaded guilty to robbing Mr Lewis on April 1 this year and burgling two houses in Stroud with intent to steal on April 21.

He was jailed for a total of six years by Recorder Jeremy Barnes who told him: “What you did had a simply appalling effect on Mr Lewis.

“He became unwell. Instead of enjoying some more time in his family home of over 40 years he, suffering from shock, has had to move into a residential home.”

McLarnon, appearing via video link from Hewell Prison, had earlier denied the offences but changed his pleas to guilty after asking the judge to give an indication of what sentence he would pass if he admitted them.

Prosecutor Janine Wood said Mr Lewis was asleep at home at 2.20am when he woke to see McLarnon standing in his room.

McLarnon told the terrified pensioner: “Give me some money and I will leave you.”

Mr Lewis told him ‘My son will be here soon,’ but McLarnon simply replied ‘Don’t worry, I will be gone.’

Mrs Wood told the court: “He kept asking for money. He pushed Mr Lewis out of the way so he could take some items from the shelves. He also opened a bureau in the living room. The victim could also hear banging in other rooms.

“After 20 minutes the defendant returned to his room and said 'If I can’t get what I want I’ll be back.'"

McLarnon’s DNA was found by police in the house and Mr Lewis also picked him out from a selection of photos shown to him by police in an identification procedure.

But before he could be apprehended McLarnon broke into two houses in Park Road, Stroud - one of them occupied - with intent to steal on the night of April 21, Mrs Wood said.

Mrs Wood said that in a victim impact statement Mr Lewis said: “To wake up and find a stranger in my house was absolutely terrifying. I was very scared and didn’t know what was going to happen and what the person might do to me.

“I am scared to go home so have been forced to live in residential care. I now have to spend my family’s inheritance on being looked after. I am devastated by the loss of my late wife’s jewellery.”

Joe Maloney, defending, said: “The mitigation is that he has pleaded guilty and that is the case.”

Recorder Barnes told McLarnon: “On April 1 you were out burgling, as you often do, and you found an elderly vulnerable victim in the house. You started demanding money from him and it plainly must have been a terrifying experiences for him. “

PC Darren Reid, the investigating officer, said: “I am pleased to see this individual has been put behind bars after subjecting a vulnerable, elderly man to such a traumatising and distressing ordeal.

“I hope the sentence is justice for the victims he targeted and indicates Gloucestershire Constabulary’s determination to tackling burglary and removing burglars from society.”