THE brother of a notorious Albanian criminal has been jailed after attempting to break into the Cheshire mansion of a professional footballer.
Former Aston Villa and Brentford striker Scott Hogan was jolted awake late at night when a torch beam shone through the bedroom window of his home.
Chester Crown Court heard how a three-man gang of burglars had scaled trellising at the property before Hogan confronted them and chased them away.
Police later traced and arrested Denis Puka, 28, and Erisjan Laska, 29.
A third suspect has never been located.
The terrifying ordeal left the former Republic of Ireland international and his pregnant wife suffering “huge emotional distress”.
Denis is the younger brother of Dorian Puka, a bling-obsessed criminal who has spent the past year evading both police and the Home Office.
During that time, the 31-year-old has repeatedly posted videos on social media boasting about his extravagant lifestyle in the UK.
These include videos of him partying in VIP clubs and showing off a £300,000 Rolls Royce.
Others posts include Instagram stories of him smoking from a shisha pipe and drinking champagne.
Dorian first came to public attention after being jailed and deported twice for a string of burglaries.
Despite this, he later managed to return to the UK hidden in the back of a lorry.
Asked on social media if he was remorseful for his crimes, he said: “Serious crime? U call that serious crime?”
Speaking in court, Hogan described how the 11.30pm raid last June left him fearing for his wife and their young daughter, who were both at home at the time.
He said the incident caused “great psychological damage” to his family and resulted in “many sleepless nights” while he was away playing football.
In a statement, Hogan said: “It has caused huge emotional distress to myself and my wife who is heavily pregnant.
“My career as a professional footballer is very short.
“I have now used money I was saving to buy a whole new security system to ensure my wife feels safe as I am not at home for extended periods of time due to my career.
“When I am not there, I fear for my wife and child.
“It is a nightmare for any father and mother.”
The attempted break-in formed part of a series of “well-planned and organised” raids, the court heard.
The gang deliberately targeted large mansions with extensive grounds to reduce the risk of detection, forcing entry by scaling drainpipes, using ladders or standing on each other’s shoulders.
Masked and armed with tools including crowbars, the trio carried out multiple attacks, with Hogan’s home near Northwich the final property targeted.
Before reaching Hogan’s address, the group were disturbed on most occasions and are only known to have successfully stolen two watches during the spree.
At Hogan’s home, the gang scaled a fence before one man stood on another’s shoulders and climbed trellising towards the bedroom window, where they were discovered and fled.
To evade detection, the trio used a vehicle fitted with three sets of cloned number plates and communicated using walkie-talkies.
The two suspects admitted conspiracy to commit seven burglaries over a two-day period.
Both were jailed for four years and eight months after Judge Steven Everett condemned their actions as “disgusting and despicable,” saying they had brought “devastation and huge upset” to their victims.
