THE impact of Britain’s open-border policy on immigration was laid bare yesterday when it emerged how Romanian squatters moved into a man’s home while he was at work and attempted to claim it as their own.
Mihai and Laura Dediu, who have two children, said they met a man in a local shop who told them the house had been empty for some time.
Home owner David Mooney was only saved from having to fight a lengthy eviction case when he unexpectedly returned home to retrieve his forgotten wallet.
He was stunned to find the Romanian couple had forced the locks on his two-bedroom end-of-terrace home and were in the process of emptying it of his belongings.
He promptly called police who arrived at the house in Southfields, Northampton, and arrested the couple.
The extraordinary episode was revealed at Northampton Crown Court last week in front of a incredulous judge who warned the case demonstrated how Britain was in danger of regressing to the 19th century.
Outlining the incident last December, Judge Richard Bray said: “The owner comes back at 5pm and there’s an unknown car parked in his drive and the lights to the house are on.
“He goes in and finds these two defendants and, wait for it, a young child.
“We are going back to Dickensian times it appears.
“When challenged, the defendants say they own the property and are just moving in and that the male defendant was going to alter the locks as part of that process.
“Then an unidentified person attends to take the child away. What’s going on here?”
The judge added: “This is a bizarre case. I must be the most experienced person in this building for burglary and in 26 years I cannot remember a case where burglars have taken a young child with them to carry out a burglary. I really can’t.”
Mihai and Laura Dediu, who have two children, said they met a man in a local shop who told them the house had been empty for some time.
Home owner David Mooney was only saved from having to fight a lengthy eviction case when he unexpectedly returned home to retrieve his forgotten wallet.
He was stunned to find the Romanian couple had forced the locks on his two-bedroom end-of-terrace home and were in the process of emptying it of his belongings.
He promptly called police who arrived at the house in Southfields, Northampton, and arrested the couple.
The extraordinary episode was revealed at Northampton Crown Court last week in front of a incredulous judge who warned the case demonstrated how Britain was in danger of regressing to the 19th century.
Outlining the incident last December, Judge Richard Bray said: “The owner comes back at 5pm and there’s an unknown car parked in his drive and the lights to the house are on.
“He goes in and finds these two defendants and, wait for it, a young child.
“We are going back to Dickensian times it appears.
“When challenged, the defendants say they own the property and are just moving in and that the male defendant was going to alter the locks as part of that process.
“Then an unidentified person attends to take the child away. What’s going on here?”
The judge added: “This is a bizarre case. I must be the most experienced person in this building for burglary and in 26 years I cannot remember a case where burglars have taken a young child with them to carry out a burglary. I really can’t.”
"Dave, dave, your my wife now"
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