A would-be robber armed with a sawn-off shotgun attempted to steal a Rolex watch worth £53,000 and threatened to shoot his victims until he learned one of them was a police officer. The incident left the family "traumatised" and considering whether to sell their home.
Michael Myers, 42, demanded the watch from its owner when he produced the firearm from a rucksack after entering the victim's Cardiff home. When the victim's brother attempted to calm the defendant and told him he was a police officer Myers responded: "I don't give a f***, I'll f****** shoot you."
The seller had advertised the Rolex on a WhatsApp group containing 200 watch dealers after the family pooled their savings to purchase the luxury timepiece. A potential buyer contacted the vendor and told him he would send his son to view the watch but on January 25 this year Myers arrived at his address.
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He asked to look at the watch but after agreeing to buy it he returned to his car with the excuse of getting cash and returned with the weapon and used it to threaten the seller. A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday heard the victim and his family believed the gun to be real and feared for their lives.
Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said Myers asked the watch owner: "Where's the watch? Give me the watch". He was willing to comply with the defendant but made a comment about his brother, who was in the living room, being a police officer to which Myers responded: "I don't give a f***" and pointed the gun in his face.
The seller's police officer brother told Myers: "I am a police officer" and produced his warrant card, which caused the defendant to back away into the hallway and towards the door. He then said: "Fair enough boys I'll leave it but you open the door." He told the police officer to leave and threatened him but left making the final comment: "I know the boys and we'll be back."
Also present at the time of the attempted robbery was the men's brother while their mother and young sister were also upstairs. The police were called and managed to track Myers through his phone number and he was arrested the next day.
The defendant, of Ffordd Williamson, Old St Mellons, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of a firearm. A man who drove Myers to the scene and a man who arranged the attempted robbery were not found. The court heard Myers also had previous convictions for offences such as distraction burglaries.
In a victim personal statement the watch vendor said he could no longer trust anyone and felt paranoid that everyone outside his immediate family was out to cause him harm. He said he was also struggling with his university course due to lack of sleep and anxiety. The court also heard that the victim's father had recently died of a stroke and the family had considered selling their home due to the incident.
In his statement the police officer victim said: "Since I was 18 I have been employed by the British Army and South Wales Police but I have never before faced a situation where I feared for my life. The feeling of fear and complete helplessness will stay with me for the rest of my life."
In mitigation Pina Silvio said her client, a father-of-three, did not know for sure if the gun was real or an imitation. She said he was a user of crack cocaine and had racked up debts which led to his offending.
Sentencing, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: "It's quite clear from everything I've heard and read that you traumatised this family, a family grieving for a father, including a 12-year-old girl. You have had a significant effect on their lives and will continue to do so for some considerable time to come. The brothers were confronted with a shotgun and feared for their lives. When you left you made an empty gratuitous threat you were going to return with others and knew where they lived."
Myers was sentenced to a total of 12 years imprisonment. He will serve two-thirds of the sentence before he will be considered for parole.
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