A burglar who forced his way into a businesswoman’s hotel room and threatened her with a hammer has been jailed for three years.
Adam McKellar, 18, left his victim “hysterical” with fear after he kicked down the door of her room at The Crescent Hotel, Beeston, Leeds.
Leeds Crown Court heard the victim worked for an Indian telecommunications company and had been staying at the hotel as part of a visit to the UK.
She arrived at the premises on the afternoon of November 24 last year and saw McKellar, pictured, in the entrance as the hotel owner helped her to her room with her luggage.
The victim was doing work on her laptop computer in her room in the evening when she heard a disturbance outside her room and someone knocked on her door asking to be let in.
The woman refused to open the door and rang a member of staff who came to reassure her and told her to ring if there were any more problems.
Around 40 minutes later the door to her room was kicked off its hinges with such force that it also removed the frame. McKellar went up to the woman clutching a hammer and she feared he was going to strike her. She managed to flee the room and rang police.
Officers went to the hotel and McKellar returned while they were still there. The court heard the victim began screaming with fear when McKellar reappeared despite police being there.
McKellar, of no fixed address, initially denied the offence but later pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary.
Ian Hudson, mitigating, said McKellar was just 17 at the time of the offence. He had been placed in various hotels by social services after being abandoned by family members. He said McKellar did not know anybody in the city and had begun drinking and taking drugs with people in a similar situation.
Judge Richard Hickey told McKellar: “She was absolutely terrified when she was confronted by you. Your physical presence must have scared her enormously.”