A MAN who threatened an elderly couple with a knife in their Slough home has had an appeal to overturn his 15-year prison sentence thrown out.

Patrick Cassidy, formerly of Stanborough Avenue, Borhamwood, told the man and woman to hand over money and gold when he broke into their house in November 2019.

Despite this, Cassidy left empty-handed and fled, but police caught him a short distance away from the property.

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The crook had been in prison prior to this, and escaped from HMP Hollesey in August 2019 when he was found to be missing at the morning roll call and did not return.

At Reading Crown Court in August 2020, Cassidy was handed a 15-year prison sentence after being convicted of one count of aggravated burglary, one count of escape from lawful custody.

He was also convicted of one count of domestic burglary, which related to an incident in which Cassidy forced entry into a property in Eastbury Road, Watford and took a handbag.

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Earlier today, Cassidy’s plea to overturn his sentence at the Court of Appeal was refused by Judge Flewitt QC in a hearing which lasted just three minutes.

Speaking in 2020, Detective Constable Ben Walker-Hall of the team based at Slough police station, said: “Cassidy entered the homes of two older people who were asleep at the time and then threatened them with a knife.

“This was an extremely harrowing ordeal for the two victims, with someone coming into their family home.

“I am satisfied with the sentence handed out to Cassidy which will give him time to think about his frankly cowardly and atrocious criminal behaviour."

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