By JOSE RAMOS, NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:10 BST, 30 September 2025 | Updated: 15:05 BST, 30 September 2025
A brazen burglar cooked himself a pizza while carrying out a raid at a £1.5million manor house - before hitting the homeowner with a stolen getaway car.Aaron Hammond, 30, made himself at home by also drinking coffee and juice during the break-in on the Isle of Wight on July 14, 2022. Among the valuable items Hammond stole were a Rolex watch and £600 in cash, as well as a Citroen Crossback belonging to the homeowner's son. But the hapless thief was caught red-handed when the victim returned home at around 2.40pm to find the gates to her country pile wide open.She also noticed that her son's car had been moved, and as she approached it Hammond suddenly appeared in the driver's seat and sped away.The victim was left trapped and 'squashed' between the two vehicles as he fled the scene. She has been left feeling 'violated' and 'unsafe' in her home since the raid.Hammond admitted burgling, stealing and theft of a motor vehicle and was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence at Isle of Wight Crown Court.The judge warned Hammond would have been given an immediate custodial sentence had he not been 'exceptionally mentally unwell' and suffering an acute psychotic episode at the time of the burglary. Aaron Hammond, 30, outside Isle of Wight Crown Court where he was handed a suspended sentence for the burglary The £1.5million country manor where Hammond conducted his raid The court heard how the family who owned the property had left their home locked and secure, behind electric gates, at 10am.But when the mother returned later that afternoon with her teenage daughter, she found things were not as she had left them.After calling 999, the victim discovered her home in disarray and signs that Hammond had cooked himself a pizza, as well as leaving his jumper behind. Hammond was arrested in the early hours of the next morning in the stolen Citroen outside his home with cash, watches and keys inside.Fingerprints linked him to the scene, and Hammond later told police he had entered through an open window after 'voices in his head told him what to do.'Prosecutor Holly Fagan described the mother's 'long-lasting pain' from being crushed during his escape.Her family now spends most of their time on the mainland, with the daughter commuting daily to the island for school.For the defence, Lucie Taylor, said Hammond had been suffering from severe psychosis at the time.Three psychological assessments and a probation report confirmed his mental illness. He has since engaged with medication and community mental health services.Ms Taylor said Hammond had gone ten years without offending before the burglary and had not committed any further offences since.Hammond was assessed by the Probation Service as posing a low risk of reoffending and a low risk of harm.Sentencing, Judge James Newton-Price noted Hammond had stopped taking prescribed medication in 2021 and had experienced a 'difficult upbringing'.The judge said psychological reports described him as 'exceptionally mentally unwell' and 'completely psychotic' at the time of the burglary.Judge Newton-Price told him: 'If you had no mental health issues, I would have considered a four-year prison sentence.'However, you are unlikely to have committed this burglary if you had not been suffering an acute psychotic episode.'The judge ruled it was in the public interest for Hammond to continue treatment in the community rather than face prison.As part of his sentence, Hammond must take part in 20 rehabilitation days and pay a £500 fine.
