Coventry gang break into a house to steal cannabis

A Coventry teenager who broke into a woman’s house to steal her son’s cannabis crop has been jailed for three years.

The burglary was carried out by a Coventry gang of four in the early hours of a morning last year. The gang entered the house in order to steal cannabis crops which were being grown in the property.

Two gang members confronted the “terrified” mother in her bedroom to stop her calling the police, while the other two went straight to the son’s room to grab the cannabis.

Ouzelfah Noma, aged 19, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to participating in the burglary. But two other suspects had charges against them dropped earlier this year.

The Coventry gang broke into the house to steal cannabis plants Photo: Jason Rogers / Flickr

Noma was the only one arrested on the night, after being found by police panting heavily, with a bleeding cut from breaking a window to enter the house.

The court heard that the mother had been bullied by her son into turning a blind eye on his growing operation.

Prosecutors told the court that the mother has been “forced to seek alternative accommodation, [as she was] too frightened to remain in her own home” after the burglary.

But West Midlands Police told The Boar that the cannabis growing son was only cautioned by officers.

While sentencing Noma, Recorder Steven Evans said: “In the middle of the night you and three accomplices made a plan to burgle her house because you knew that in her son’s bedroom were a quantity of cannabis plants.

“It was part of the agreement that you as a group would confront her and take her phone from her.

“You as a group knew she would be present and you planned a confrontation with her to threaten her into silence. That is a serious aggravating feature of this case.”

Noma’s lawyer said the defendant got involved to repay a £200 debt Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim / Flickr

David Rees, defending Noma in court, insisted the teenager was “a young lad with potentially a bright future,” who had allowed himself to get caught up in the burglary to pay off a £200 debt to a friend. Noma had no previous convictions.

Mr. Rees said Noma was a regular attendant at Africa Zumunta youth association in Birmingham, where he worked on various community projects. He pointed out that while Noma admitted his involvement, the two others who denied the matter had the cases against them discontinued earlier this year.

West Midlands Police told The Boar that the cases against the two other defendants had been dropped because of lack of evidence.

They also confirmed that the incident was unrelated to recent gang-related violence in Canley, involving a machete and ‘car jousting’.