Salisbury man jailed for attempting to kidnap two-year-old as he slept

It was four o'clock in the morning when the child's mother woke to find a man at the end of her bed, holding her two-year-old son in his arms.

Upon being disturbed, he dropped the child and ran out of the house.

Reece Jolliffe, 28, of Amesbury entered the victim’s home through an unlocked door at around 4am on September 2, 2023. He'd been drinking heavily.

Police officers went to Jolliffe’s home address and arrested him on suspicion of kidnap.

During interview, Jolliffe claimed he could not remember what happened after he left the pub he had been drinking at.

Jolliffe was given an immediate two-year custodial sentence and a 10-year restraining order was imposed to prevent him from contacting the victim’s family and attending their home address.

He pleaded guilty to attempted kidnap and was sentenced to two years imprisonment at Salisbury Crown Court.

Sgt Matthew Goldring said: “This was a deeply disturbing incident for the entire family.

“We do not know Jolliffe’s full intentions when he entered the victim’s home, but his actions were significantly alarming."

“I would like to personally thank the victim’s mother for her bravery in reporting this to Wiltshire Police and trusting that we would bring Jolliffe to justice.”

Jolliffe was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £187 to fund victim services.

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