A man has been jailed for attempting to kidnap a two-year-old boy in Amesbury.
28-year old Reece Jolliffe of Coltsfoot Close pleaded guilty to attempted kidnap and was sentenced to two years imprisonment at Salisbury Crown Court on October 18th.
Jolliffe, who had been drinking heavily throughout the night, entered the victim’s home through an unlocked door at around 4:00am on September 2nd 2023.
The victim’s mother awoke to find Jolliffe at the end of her bed, holding her child in his arms.
Upon being disturbed, Jolliffe dropped the child and ran out of the house.
Police officers swiftly attended Jolliffe’s home address and arrested him on suspicion of kidnap.
During interview, Jolliffe claimed he could not remember what happened after he left the pub he had been drinking at.
Jolliffe was given an immediate two-year custodial sentence and a 10-year restraining order was imposed to prevent him from contacting the victim’s family and attending their home address. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £187 to fund victim services.
Sgt Matthew Goldring said: “This was a deeply disturbing incident for the entire family.
“We do not know Jolliffe’s full intentions when he entered the victim’s home, but his actions were significantly alarming.
“I would like to personally thank the victim’s mother for her bravery in reporting this to Wiltshire Police and trusting that we would bring Jolliffe to justice.”