A pair of teenage boys have been jailed for threatening an elderly couple in their home with knives during a burglary in Fareham.

At around 4.30pm on February 5, 2024, two boys, aged 15 and 17 respectively, entered a house on Barnbrook Road.

The people living in the house, both aged in their 80s, were watching TV together when the boys came in.

One of the boys, who was holding a knife, demanded car keys but was chased out of the house by one of the victims.

The same victim then found the second boy, who had walked out of a bedroom holding a knife and wearing a ski mask.

The second boy demanded keys, but then took a set himself and ran out of the house.

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The same victim in their 80s chased the boys and found the keys dropped on the floor outside.

Police spoke to witnesses and reviewed CCTV footage which enabled them to identify the two suspects.

The boys cannot be named for legal reasons.

Both were charged with aggravated burglary and admitted the offence when they appeared at Southampton Magistrates' Court on December 16, 2024.

They appeared at Southampton Crown Court today, where the 17-year-old boy was jailed for 40 months.

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The 15-year-old was jailed for two years.

DC Paul Osborne, from the Eastern Area Crime Team, said: “This was a terrifying incident for the couple involved, who were threatened at knifepoint in their own home.

“They were extremely brave during the burglary itself, and have continued to show courage throughout the police investigation.

“We know that the community will be particularly shocked by the young ages of the defendants in this instance. These kinds of aggravated burglary are rare in any case, and rarer still to involve children.

“No one should have to experience what the victims were subjected to that day - the behaviour of the defendants was appalling and we will never tolerate this type of crime

"I hope the community can be reassured that we have caught the people responsible for this awful crime, and they have now been sentenced.”