A terrified mother and daughter were taken hostage in their own home after two men smashed their way into the wrong property in a quiet Shropshire village.
A Terrifying Ordeal Unfolds
The incident occurred in Prees, Shropshire, at around 11.50pm on March 20, 2024. Gary Milner, 45, and Ronan Hutchinson, 25, forced their way into the house after mistakenly believing it was an address that sold drugs.
The intruders immediately forced the two women into a bedroom. Demonstrating incredible presence of mind, the daughter managed to call 999 as the men raced upstairs. She dropped the phone, but the line remained open, allowing police operators to listen to the unfolding hostage situation.
Police Response and Arrests
One of the assailants stayed upstairs, threatening the women with violence and eventually assaulting the mother, causing her to fall unconscious. Meanwhile, the other burglar searched downstairs, demanding to know the location of a safe. The raiders stole £300 of the daughter's birthday money from the address.
Thanks to the live 999 call, police were deployed immediately and arrived at the scene within an impressive six minutes of the call being made. Upon their arrival, one of the men fled, but dropped a jacket containing a mobile phone stolen from the house. The other ran in a different direction, throwing a pair of scissors taken from the property at officers, which narrowly missed its target.
Ronan Hutchinson, identified as the man who held the women hostage in the bedroom, was arrested the same night in Shrewsbury town centre. He was later charged with burglary and two counts of false imprisonment. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years in prison at Shrewsbury Crown Court in April.
Gary Milner was arrested two weeks later and charged with burglary and assaulting an emergency worker. He pleaded guilty at Shrewsbury Crown Court in September and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday, November 11.
Commendation for Victims' Bravery
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Jordan Small from West Mercia Police commended the victims. "We must thank both of the victims of this terrifying offence for their quick thinking and composure during what must have been a terrifying ordeal," he said.
He specifically praised the daughter's actions, stating, "We must also praise the quick thinking of the young victim, in what was clearly a very traumatic incident. The dropped phone allowed police to listen to the events as they unfolded, deploying officers who were on scene within minutes."
DC Small reaffirmed the force's commitment, adding, "Residential burglaries remain a top priority for West Mercia, and we continue to investigate crimes to the fullest, and no stone will be left unturned in the pursuit of justice for those impacted."
