Two men jailed after dragging 11-year-old out of bed and killing her during robbery in Northampton

After being seized by the throat, a mother declared that she “truly believed” the thief would murder her.
Following an 11-year-old’s dragged out of bed during a robbery in Northampton, two men have received sentences totaling more than 27 years in prison.

On March 23, having previously entering guilty pleas to a number of counts, Paul Gregory Delaney, 44, of Wareham Road, Birmingham, and Ashton Lee Williams, 33, of Northampton, appeared at Northampton Crown Court to receive their sentences.

The two kicked in the patio door at an Upton address early on May 23, 2023. Inside were a thirtysomething guy and woman, with children sound asleep.
Once inside, Delaney and Williams went to the master bedroom and, according to the police, asked that the residents turn over their cash and jewels.

 

Delaney and Williams seized the female victim by the throat and yanked the earrings out of her ears. “I truly believed that he was going to kill me,” she said in her victim impact statement. “At that time, all I could think about was how this will affect my family and the safety of my kids if I were to be killed.”

The victim, a man, was also attacked.

The eleven-year-old youngster was pulled from his bed and held by the throat. Luckily, he was not hurt physically.

The suspects fled after taking some medicine, two iPhones, and some jewellery. Delaney was still in the area when police arrived, and while he was being arrested, he attacked one of them by biting, scratching, and hitting the officer.

A short while later, Williams was taken into custody at his home address when the stolen jewellery was discovered there.

Detective Constable Kieran Russ, the lead investigator, stated: “This was an absolutely terrifying attack that has had such a lasting effect on the victims that they didn’t want to return to their home ever again. What makes this robbery all the more shocking is the fact that Delaney and Williams showed no care towards the children inside the address, even going so far as to drag one of them out of his bed by the throat.” Delaney was charged with one count of robbery, one count of assault, one count of intentional suffocation, and one count of assaulting an emergency worker.

The fact that the judge acknowledged the men’s threat by extending some parts of their sentences makes me happy. Both men received substantial prison terms.

Nothing will erase the memory of that evening, but maybe the resolution of this case brings some closure to the victims. They have all supported our investigation bravely from the beginning to the end, and I wish them all the best in the future.

Williams received a sentence of 14 years and 4 months in prison with a four-year extension, while Delaney received a term of 13 years and 6 months in jail with a five-year extension.