A BURGLARY victim has hit out at the sentence handed to a man caught on camera with a stolen motocross bike belonging to her husband.

Luke Welham was given a four month prison sentence suspended for a year after admitting receiving stolen goods.

He was spotted on CCTV riding a motocross bike which had been stolen from a garage in Fallowfield Road, in Colchester, after burglars had broken into a home hours before to take the keys which allowed them access.

At court, Welham insisted he was not involved in the burglary in May and refused to tell police which of his friends had done it.

The victim, who does not wish to be named, said she has been left shaken by the incident which happened while her military husband was away.

She said: “They broke into my home whilst I was alone with my eight month old baby, I was bathing her at the time and again home alone when they later returned.

“You never imagine the impact a burglary has on you until you experience it and my son was unable to sleep for weeks on end.

“I feared being home alone when my husband deploys worrying if I would be able to protect my family- the role of a mother.

“Everyone should feel safe in their own home but this has impacted our lives beyond belief.

“I was watched through the windows and somebody waited for my bedroom lights to go off whilst I was up with my baby in the night.”

Welham, 21, of Windsor Close, must pay the victims £2,000, but the £7,000 bike has never been recovered.

She added: “The sentence is a disgrace, the legal system has clearly failed us. We work so hard to have nice things, have to be away from our families and go to war for our country, and to be repaid like this - shame on him and his accomplices. I never want to see him on our estate again.

“The police were amazing throughout, extremely proactive, professional and kept us informed throughout the lengthy process.

“We can’t commend the police enough for their hard work and dedication, undermanned and overworked yet still delivered an exceptional service.”