Burglars aim for jewellery, cash and easy carry items

Gardaí in Mullingar reported no assaults or drug finds over the last week, but break-ins across the area continue, and a total of 10 houses have been targeted by burglars in the last seven days.Two houses in Gleann Petit, Mullingar, were burgled in the early hours of Monday morning this week, and intruders got their hands on a spare car key for a 2004 Westmeath registered blue Toyota Corolla. They stole a laptop from another house in the estate and entered both by forcing the back door in each case.Four more homes were entered on Wednesday last week and items of jewellery were stolen from three of those.The first was a house in Piercefield, Bunbrosna. Intruders forced the front door of the private residence to gain entry some time between 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and seven that evening, and ransacked the house.More jewellery and cash was stolen from another house on the same date, this time in Hodgestown, in Killucan, between eight and nine in the evening. There the front window of a residence was forced open and once again the place was ransacked.A third house in Multyfarnham was also targeted between the hours of 6.30pm and 11.30pm. Intruders gained entry through a back door but nothing was taken.Jewellery was taken from a house in Dysart after it was entered by intruders some time between 3 o'clock on Wednesday and 2pm the following day.Meanwhile, five males in a blue Volvo, believed to have a 2006 or '07 reg, was seen near an attempted break-in at a house in Parsonstown, Mullingar on Wednesday.On Thursday last week a number of males were witnessed fleeing the scene in a silver or grey vehicle, after the alarm was activated in a house at Rathowen at 2am. Nothing was taken.Intruders smashed the back window of a house in Slanemore between Sunday and Thursday last week. Nothing was taken.Finally two people breaking into a house in Walshestown, Mullingar were disturbed at lunchtime on Monday last week, by two occupants of the house who were at home at the time. They fled the scene without taking anything.Armed robbery at businessA man wearing a balaclava walked into a Mullingar business based on the Longford Road and threatened a member of staff and a customer with a knife. He stole a sum of cash from the till and no one was injured. The incident happened around six o'clock last Friday evening.Copper cylinder stolenA copper cylinder was stolen from an unoccupied house in Rathgowan between Friday of last week and Monday of this week. Entry was gained via the back door of the house.Oil stolenHome heating oil to the value of €250 was stolen from a property at Ardleigh Park between January 14 and January 17 last.Beer kegs takenSix kegs were stolen from a licensed premises on Austin Friar Street, Mullingar, last Thursday.