Albanian illegal immigrants caught trying to burgle £1.5m home in Cheshire’s wealthy ‘footballer belt’ will be jailed then kicked out of Britain after telling police: ‘We’re glad we got caught, it’s too cold to stay here’

• Sebastiano Gjoni, 23, and Skelidano Koliqi, 26, were caught by police this year
• They attempted to burgle a luxury house in Cheshire while the residents were in 
• The pair were found by officers in a freezing ditch after fleeing the £1.5m home

Two Albanian illegal immigrants who bungled a burglary of a £1.5m home are to be jailed and then kicked out of Britain. 

Sebastiano Gjoni, 23, and Skelidano Koliqi, 26, were arrested after they were caught targeting a luxury house in the Cheshire ‘footballer belt’ in the village of Alderley Edge during a cold spell in January this year.

Police were alerted about the raid when the residents of the property called 999 after hearing noises coming from downstairs at 8pm. 

The victims shouted ‘Robbers, Robbers’ and locked themselves in their bedroom before officers arrived 13 minutes later and found the defendants in a freezing ditch. 

A court heard Gjoni and Koliqi had sneaked into the UK illegally in the hope of getting work but after being found by police the 23-year-old admitted: ‘I’m glad we were caught. It’s extremely cold here. We’ve got nowhere to go.’

Sebastiano Gjoni (pictured right), 23, and Skelidano Koliqi (pictured left), 26, bungled a burglary of a £1.5m home and are now to be jailed and then kicked out of Britain

Gjoni (pictured left) and Koliqi (pictured right) were arrested after they were caught targeting a luxury house in the Cheshire ‘footballer belt’ in the village of Alderley Edge during a cold spell in January earlier this year

A court heard Gjoni and Koliqi (pictured) sneaked into the UK illegally in the hope of getting work in the construction industry 

It emerged Gjoni and Koliqi had earlier driven from their base in Harringay, North London 300 miles away before forcing their way into the house only to find the owners were at home. 

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Police also discovered Gjoni who is fluent in Italian, German and English, had carried out another raid just five days earlier at a £3m property in nearby Halebarns. 

During the break in the house was ransacked and £1,000 jewellery and perfume snatched whilst the owner, a company chairman was out.

At Chester Crown Court Gjoni was jailed for 28 months and Koliqi got 18 months after both admitted burglary. They will be deported back to Albania following their releases from jail.

Patrick Gartland, counsel for the prosecution, said the victims of the joint burglary were in bed at 8pm on January 18 this year when they heard noises downstairs. 

Looking out of their room they saw a man with his face partially covered with his hood climbing the stairs.

‘Both complainants locked themselves in their bedroom,’ Mr Gartland said, ‘They described themselves as being afraid and shouted ‘Robbers! Robbers!’ and called the police. 

‘They remained inside the bedroom, unsure if they were carrying weapons and were afraid. The police arrived 13 minutes later and the dog followed the tracks in the recent snow and found the defendants. 

It emerged Gjoni and Koliqi (pictured) had earlier driven from their base in Harringay, North London 300 miles away before forcing their way into the house only to find the owners were at home

At Chester Crown Court Gjoni was jailed for 28 months and Koliqi (pictured) got 18 months after both admitted burglary

‘They were found at 9.45 pm in a ditch in Green Lane around 270 metres from the place of the burglary. No items were taken in the property nor was there any damage done to the property.’

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‘Gjoni told police he had not wanted to cause any damage and said he was happy he was caught. He said it was extremely cold, and they did not know where to go. Both defendants are in the country illegally and will face deportation to Albania.

‘Koliqi was asked about his employment and said he did cash in hand labour for about £50 to £60 a day. Gjoni said he was homeless, had no job and had been living here illegally since 2018.

In mitigation Brendan Carville, for Gjoni, said: ‘He left Albania at the age of 14 and travelled to Germany alone. 

‘He came to the UK when he was 17 and a half and arrived illegally on a wagon. His father came here legally and worked in the construction industry.

‘In Albania are his mother and grandmother. His grandmother is 90 years of age and in poor health.

‘He is intelligent. Apart from Albanian he is fluent in Italian, German and English, and gets by in Spanish and Portuguese. He has spent nine months in custody studying advanced mathematics. He is an avid artist and that is encouraged in prison.

‘He accepts that these are serious crimes and that he is going to be repatriated back to Albania.’

Koliqi (pictured) told the court that he did cash in hand labour for about £50 to £60 a day

Edmund Potts, counsel for Koloqi, said: ‘The defendant wants me to express that he is sorry for his actions. He knows the impact his actions would have had on the residents and he is remorseful for that. That is reflected in his guilty plea.

‘He did not expect to encounter anyone at all at the property. Nothing was taken, nothing was damaged. He came to the UK in desperate circumstances. He came in the middle of a blood feud in Albania which put his life in danger.

‘That limited his prospects of getting on in life in general. He came to the UK and was getting by working at rather poorly paid and exploitative work in London. 

‘A friend suggested that they travel to Manchester because of the prospect of better work, which they did.

‘He was homeless, sleeping in a car. He is embarrassed and ashamed of his circumstances. It is not an excuse but it will explain some desperate choices that he has made here. 

‘He speaks barely any English which would make his present conditions in prison more difficult for him.

Sentencing Judge Patrick Thompson said: ‘The owners must have been terrified at the thought of two intruders in their home. You will each serve half of your sentence. It is very likely on completion of that you will be returned to your own country.’

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