Jail for robbers who beat up vulnerable man in Balby

Kimberley Sheerin (34) and Jonathan Burns (40) went to the home of a vulnerable man, demanded money and threatened him with violence.

They then subjected him to a horrific assault which only stopped when he pretended to fall unconscious, a police spokesperson said.

Sheerin, of Balby Road, Balby, was jailed for nine years and Burns (pictured, above), of Harewood Avenue, Kirk Sandall, Doncaster, was jailed for 15 years at Sheffield Crown Court last Friday (14) for the assault in Balby in December 2020.

The pair broke into the home of a man in his 60s on Cedar Road and demanded money, the police spokesperson said.

After subjecting him to a horrific assault they stole £60 from his wallet and fled the scene.

“The victim suffered two badly bruised eyes, cuts to his ear, and bruising to his face and ribs that required hospital treatment,” said the spokesperson.

Sheerin and Burns were arrested on January 30 last year and charged with robbery the following day.

They admitted the offence at last Friday’s hearing.

Det Sgt Andrew Jones, who led the investigation, said: “I am pleased that Sheerin and Jones have both received substantial custodial sentences for their crime.

“Their victim has vulnerabilities which meant he was not able to defend himself against them — they completely abused his trust.

“Their actions were absolutely deplorable.

“I want to thank the victim for reporting what happened to him, thanks to his report we were able to swiftly detain these two dangerous individuals and bring them to justice.”