Merseyside man trapped in room while Facebook friend thieves steal jewellery and cash from home

Oct 4 2012 by Eleanor Barlow, Liverpool Echo

A DISABLED man was trapped in his bedroom by thieves who had befriended him on Facebook.

The yobs stole thousands of pounds worth of jewellery and cash from his home.

Paul Miller, 28, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, has suffered panic attacks following his ordeal.

His mum Lorraine and stepdad Marty Heggarty returned home to their house in Bickerstaffe to find Paul in a state of shock.

Mr Heggarty said: “It’s quite remote where we live and Paul uses Facebook to chat to people and make friends.

“He’d been talking to two lads from Kirkby and while we were out shopping he asked if they wanted to come round and play on the Playstation with him.

“I think when they realised he was on his own they got a taxi up here straight away.

“When they got to the house one of the men asked to use the toilet.

“Paul could hear him walking upstairs even though the bathroom is next door to his room.

“When Paul asked the other one what he was doing he kept Paul in the room and wouldn’t let him out.

“He was stuck in there for about 10 minutes then the man came back and they just left.

“Paul was very distressed. We had to take him to hospital after it had happened.”

The family discovered that £12,000 worth of jewellery was missing as well as about £250 cash, an iPad and an iPod.

Mr Heggarty added: “A lot of the things they took had sentimental value. They stole watches that belonged to my wife’s father, who died before Christmas.

“Now we’ve been told by our insurance company we were under-insured so we’ll probably be lucky to get a third of the value back.”

Mr Heggarty said the ordeal has changed Paul’s life.

He said: “His confidence has gone.

“He won’t go out unless we’re with him and he doesn’t want to be in the house on his own. It has changed his personality.

“Paul does voluntary work three days a week but now we have to make sure someone’s in the house when he gets back because he doesn’t want to be here alone.

“Paul’s stepbrother died on September 3. They were the same age and had grown up together. His stepbrother had an accident three years ago and had been living in hospital but we used to go and see him regularly.

“Paul was devastated when he died and now this has happened and it has set him back again.

“He’d been talking to these lads on Facebook for a couple of weeks and they knew he was disabled.

“They have just taken advantage of Paul.”

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said a 19-year-old man from the Kirkby area had been arrested and bailed in connection with the incident, which happened at about 6pm on September 20.

She appealed for anyone with information to contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.