Men jailed after eleven-year-old boy dragged out of bed during Northampton robbery

Two men have been sent to prison for more than 27 years after they pleaded guilty to committing a robbery in Northampton last year.

In the early hours of May 23, Paul Gregory Delaney, aged 44, previously of Wareham Road, Birmingham, and Ashton Lee Williams, aged 33, previously of Northampton, kicked in the patio door at an address in Black Cat Drive in Upton, Northampton.

Once inside, they entered the main bedroom and demanded that the two occupants - a man and woman in their 30s - hand over jewellery and cash.

During the course of the incident, the female victim was grabbed by the throat with Delaney and Williams forcibly removing the earrings from her ears.

“I truly believed that he was going to kill me,” she wrote in her victim personal statement. “And 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 male victim was also attacked by Delaney and Williams who kicked and punched him, causing facial injuries.

Shockingly, an 11-year-old boy who was asleep inside the address was also grabbed by the throat and dragged out of bed. Thankfully, he was physically unharmed.

After leaving with jewellery, two iPhones and some medication, the suspects made off and police were called.

As police officers arrived, Delaney was still in the vicinity and attacked one of them as he was being arrested, scratching, biting and punching the officer. 

Williams was arrested at his home address a short time later with the jewellery the pair had stolen being found inside his property.

Delaney was subsequently charged with one count of robbery, one count of assault, one count of intentional suffocation, and one count of assaulting an emergency worker. Williams was charged with two counts of robbery, one count of intentional suffocation and one count of assault.

Both men had pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing at Northampton Crown Court and returned to the same court last month (March 23) where they were sentenced - Delaney to 13 years and six months in prison with an extension period of five years, and Williams to 14 years and four months in prison with an extension period of four years.

Lead investigator Detective Constable Kieran Russ, said: “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.

“I am pleased that both men have been handed significant prison sentences and that their dangerousness has been recognised by the judge in the form of the extended portions of their sentences. 

“Whilst nothing will take away the memory of that night, I hope the conclusion of this case provides the victims with some closure. They have all been exceptionally brave in supporting our investigation from start to finish and I wish them the very best for the future.

“Tackling serious violence remains a priority for Northamptonshire Police and I hope the public are reassured not only by the conclusion of this investigation but also by the swift response of officers on the night.”

Pictured below: Ashton Williams (no mugshot is available of Delaney).