A man has been jailed for attempting to kidnap a two-year-old boy in front of his terrified mother. Reece Jolliffe, 28, was drunk when he entered the victim’s home through an unlocked door at around 4am.
The victim’s mother awoke to find Jolliffe at the end of her bed, holding her child in his arms. Upon being disturbed, Jolliffe dropped the child and ran out of the house.
Police officers swiftly attended Jolliffe’s home address and arrested him on suspicion of kidnap. During interview, Jolliffe claimed he could not remember what happened after he left the pub.
Jolliffe, of Amesbury, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to attempted kidnap and was sentenced to two years of imprisonment at Salisbury Crown Court. He was given an immediate two-year custodial sentence and a 10-year restraining order was imposed to prevent him from contacting the victim’s family and attending their home address. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £187 to fund victim services.
In a statement read to court, the boy’s mother made clear the devastating impact Jolliffe has had on her family’s lives.
She wrote: “I did not sleep for months. I spent every night at the end of my bed keeping an eye on the back door. I was terrified of everyone and everything. I will not trust anybody ever again.”
Sgt Matthew Goldring said: “This was a deeply disturbing incident for the entire family. We do not know Jolliffe’s full intentions when he entered the victim’s home, but his actions were significantly alarming.
“I would like to personally thank the victim’s mother for her bravery in reporting this to Wiltshire Police and trusting that we would bring Jolliffe to justice.”