A BURGLARY victim has described his assailant as a 'leech on society' and says he does not regret confronting him during the break-in.
Last Monday Nigel Anthony Simoni, 39, was jailed for five years, for two house burglaries at Lleweni Hall and Derw Fan, Bodfari, and for getting a female friend to provide him with a false alibi.
After the week long trial he was unanimously convicted by the jury and lost his temper when the sentence was given hurling abuse at the judge who then imposed a further 12 months on his four year sentence.
Judge Philip Hughes described Simoni as a 'persistent and professional burglar.'
Simoni burgled Derw Fan on May 1 taking a handbag, digital cameras and a sat nav system, a month later he struck at Lleweni Hall the country home of Sion Euros Evans and wife Catrin.
"I was in bed and I could hear something walking on the stairs and walking along the landing but I thought I was dreaming and then I heard somebody trying to open our bedroom door and the door knob rattled, " said Mr Evans.
"When I heard that that's when knew I am not sleeping so I literally jumped out of bed, I must have made a noise as everything went quiet."
Luckily that night on June 8 Catrin, 33, had locked the bedroom door, something the couple never normally do.
Mr Evans, 35, said he stood standing thinking someone was there but as he had not been sleeping well he thought he had dreamt it.
"My father had died two weeks before and so I had not been sleeping well so then I just put it down to a dream and I was annoyed I had got myself up in a state."
In the morning the couple woke to find a laptop, ipod, bottles of alcohol, a camera, three mobile phones and a chef's blow torch and family cutlery which had sentimental value were gone.
A pick-axe from their shed was also left at the kitchen window.
"He broke into the shed and armed himself with the hammer so he would have been standing on the other side with it.
"I do think I had a lucky escape as it would have been a fight to the death."
The couple alerted police and for the next three nights they sat up in their barn convinced the burglar would return again.
"I was convinced it was someone local and on foot because of the tracks along the field.
"When I told people I had been burgled everyone was pointing to Simoni because all he did at night was wonder around on foot."
Mr Evans confronted Simoni at his girlfriends Bodfari house a few days later.
"I wanted him to get the message not to come back."
Mr Evans gave evidence at the trial and said he was given a grilling for confronting Simoni and some people had given him 'grief' over it.
"I think in society people tend to be afraid and people should stand up more and not tolerate it."
Mr Evans added putting a face to the criminal made it easier to cope but he was angered to find out Simoni went on a holiday to Turkey while out on bail and on a curfew.
"I was really annoyed to find that out but I hoped he would be caught stealing in Turkey as they really don't tolerate it there."
Since the burglary Mr Evans has said he has found it harder to sleep but after eight years in Lleweni Hall the couple are not moving out.
"He will not affect our enjoyment of the place,” he added.