TWO violent burglars who forced their way into a Suffolk home and viciously attacked two women with a crowbar have been given jail sentences totalling more than 22 years.

East Anglian Daily Times: Leslie Colvin, 31, of London Road South, Lowestoft, was jailed for 14 years with an extended licence period of five years.Leslie Colvin, 31, of London Road South, Lowestoft, was jailed for 14 years with an extended licence period of five years. (Image: Archant)

One of the women suffered skull and facial fractures and was placed on a life support machine, while her daughter suffered head wounds and a broken arm in the attack last August.

Before Ipswich Crown Court were Leslie Colvin, 31, of London Road South, Lowestoft, and Alan Harwood, 31, of High Street, Lowestoft.

Harwood admitted aggravated burglary and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on Nikki Stockdale, 28, and her 47-year-old mother Dawn, and was jailed for eight years and nine months, with an extended licence period of three years and six months.

Colvin denied the charges and was found guilty after a trial which ended in March. He was jailed for 14 years with an extended licence period of five years. Both men will have to serve two-thirds of their sentence before they can be considered for release by the parole board.

William Carter, prosecuting, said Nikki Stockdale had been at her mid-terrace home in Cambridge Road, Lowestoft, on August 27 with her mother when Colvin and Harwood, who had their faces covered, burst in at around 2.40am.

Nikki Stockdale had gone downstairs, naked apart from a duvet, and was beaten with the crowbar. Her mother was left bleeding on the floor of the sitting room after being attacked and when she tried to get to her feet Colvin had hit her hard on the head with the crowbar and knocked her out.

Nikki Stockdale was left naked after the duvet came off and during the incident Harwood had grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to her knees before hitting her and ripping a chain from her neck, said Mr Carter.

She was asked for the number to a safe and the men had left with gold jewellery and a handbag.

Dawn Stockdale was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, after suffering a seizure and was found to have skull and facial fractures and bruising to her brain. She was put on a life-support machine and since the attack she had lost her sense of smell, suffered memory problems and was no longer able to live independently.

Nikki Stockdale suffered a broken arm and cuts to her head and had now moved house.

Beebee Hamid, for Colvin, said Nikki Stockdale had told the court her injuries had been caused by Harwood and not Colvin. Jamas Hodivala said his client – Harwood – had given evidence for the prosecution during Colvin’s trial and had expressed remorse for his involvement in the incident.

After yesterday’s hearing Det Ch Insp Steve Mattin said Colvin and Harwood had attacked two defenceless women in their own home and had clearly intended to cause them substantial harm.

“It was only due to luck and the skill of medical staff that the 47-year-old woman survived,” he said.