Yeovil man with knife breaks into home and forces victim to take cash out

A man has been jailed for breaking into someone's home with a knife and forcing his victim to withdraw money from a cash machine.

'Dangerous offender' Valentinas Michailovas, of Marl Close in Yeovil, has been sentenced to six years in prison after admitting a string of offences.

In his first robbery on 15 August, Michailovas led a man to a cash machine and forced him to withdraw money. Michailovas then assaulted his victim and ran off with the money.

Two days later, Michailovas broke into the same person’s home during the early hours where the victim saw him holding a knife.

Again, he forced the victim to go and withdraw a quantity of cash from an ATM.

A second victim reported his home had been broken into overnight on 20-21 August. After an investigation, Michailovas admitted to handling stolen goods.

The 24-year-old was jailed at Taunton Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of robbery, one of handling stolen goods and one of fraudulently using someone else’s bank cards.

He was also handed restraining orders to prevent him from being able to contact either of his victims.

In sentencing Michailovas on November 12, Judge James Townsend noted he had previous convictions for similar offences in his native Lithuania.

'Nobody should be made to feel unsafe in their home'

PC Jim Card said: “Valentinas Michailovas is a dangerous offender who used force and a weapon to rob an innocent man on two occasions in the space of only a few days.

“Nobody should be made to feel unsafe in their home and Michailovas had no regard for his victims when he committed these crimes.

“We welcome the six-year sentence handed down to him as a result and the restraining orders protecting these innocent victims from him in the future.”