Northamptonshire husband, 36, with stage four cancer has family home targeted four times in three weeks

A 36-year-old Northamptonshire man suffering with stage four cancer and given just three months to live has had his home burgled three times in six days.

Richard Davies, 36, was told four weeks ago that he has stage four colon cancer which has spread to other parts of his body.

His friends have organised a black-tie ball to raise money for part of his cancer treatment currently not funded by the NHS which could save his life, as reported by Chronicle & Echo earlier this week.

While preparing for chemotherapy next week, Richard and his wife Lisa have had their Northamptonshire home ransacked by burglars not once but three times between May 24 and 30.

Richard said: "It was horrifying. As soon as we walked on to the driveway you could see it's like a bomb has gone off. We are devastated. Lisa is in pieces.

"All of our personal belongings strewn all over the driveway. Intimate letters and cards between me and my wife had been pulled out, screwed up and torn to shreds, pieces of clothing everywhere, everything just smashed to bits. They urinated all over everything, the whole place stunk.

"It was all of our belongings in there, and they have just gone in there and totally, maliciously trashed everything.

"Lisa was almost on the floor wailing because the problem is, physical items that would not have been that valuable this time a month ago before my diagnosis now hold incredible sentimental value. If I die, these are things she wants to keep.

"I've been given three to six months to live without drastic intervention, these are things she was going to rely on for comfort moving forward have been destroyed, and for what reason? Why? I can live with the power tools and bicycles being nicked but trashing all of our stuff, I just don't understand it.

"To say we’re at breaking point is an understatement. What can you do in the face of such mindless evil. The only thing that I’m absolutely thankful for is that somehow, buried beneath the carnage, the painting I had done for Lisa has survived and is undamaged."

Richard called the police after the first burglary but said by doing this it may have "put a target on his back" as the perpetrators returned the following two nights.

After the three burglaries, Lisa went to clear up the damage and faced a barrage of abuse and threats of violence from a passerby. Richard contacted the police as he felt his wife was in serious danger. However, he was left disappointed with the time it took officers to arrive (34 minutes).

He said: "The police have admitted their response time was totally unacceptable. If someone is threatening violence to my wife I would want them to be there within three to four minutes.

"If someone is threatening to hurt your family you ring 999, you expect the police are going to come and save you, but that has not been the case. We have felt like we are totally alone."

Northamptonshire Police said: “We sincerely apologise if the victims in this case feel that they haven’t been provided with the level of service they expected.

“We are currently reviewing our response to their initial calls and will report our findings to them, as well as implement any learning that comes out.

"Witnesses or anyone with information should call us on 101 quoting incident number 22000311763."

Richard has since spent thousands of pounds hiring security guards from a private firm to watch his house 24/7.

He said: "I'm just trying to protect my property. It's been tough. Me being in ill health has meant that I was not there that day to protect my wife, I was resting.

"I need to focus all my mental energy and strength towards what I'm about to face but, in actual fact, my days are being taken up with all the security."

Unbelievably, on Thursday (June 9), Richard's security guard was attacked and beaten up by someone he believes is connected to the burglaries.

Richard phoned the police but again felt like he had been let down as officers took three and a half hours to attend the home.

He said: "We've had senior police officers in our home on Monday apologising for the obvious and blatant failures of their policing. Three days later the same situation has arisen and they have reacted in the exact same way. So what is the point in apologising if they have put in no infrastructure to change their response.

"I have had to pay thousands of pounds to have security at my house and now one of those security guards has been beaten up by somebody who has just walked into my front garden.

"So what message is that sending to me and the public? The message, 'people can come into your property, vandalise your home, steal all your belongings, attack your wife, and there's not a thing we're going to do about it'. That's the message Northamptonshire Police is sending," he said.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said on Thursday (June 9): “We are currently on the scene of this incident after being called to the location earlier today."

Richard said he called the police at around 11.40am and officers turned up three and a half hours later at 3.10pm.

The police continued: "Officers are currently making enquiries to ascertain what has happened with the aim of bringing this to a positive conclusion.

“We sincerely apologise if the victims in this case feel that they haven’t been provided with the level of service they expected.

“We are currently reviewing our response to all of their calls and will implement any learning that comes out.”