15-year-old burglar threatened woman with knife in her own home and demanded keys to BMW during West Yorkshire crime spree

Leeds Crown Court heard how the woman was terrified after being confronted by the teenager in the bedroom of her home.

The youngster was given a custodial sentence of more than three years over the offending in November last year.

The teenager, who cannot be identified, first targeted a house in Rodley, Leeds, on November 14 as the homeowner was inside.

Keys to VW Golf were taken and the defendant drove off in the vehicle.

Anthony Moore, prosecuting, said the victim heard the door of his home banging but thought it was the wind.

He then released his car keys were missing and contacted police when he saw that the vehicle was not outside.

Police saw the car in the Bradford area but the teenager refused to stop.

He drove at double the speed limit, mounted pavements and went through red lights during the pursuit.

The stolen car was also driven on the wrong side of the road and came close to colliding with oncoming vehicles.

The chase ended when he drove into a cul-de-sac.

The teenager and a passenger ran from the car as it was still moving and it crashed into a fence.

He was arrested nearby and found in possession of a driving licence which had been stolen during a burglary the previous day.

Mr Moore said the youth refused to comment during interview and was released on bail pending further investigation.

Five days later the teenager tried to force his way into the home of a 75-year-old man in Bradford.

The man looked through a gap in the door and saw the teenager who claimed to be looking for his friend.

A short time later he managed to get into a family home where a woman was asleep upstairs while her husband was out.

The same property had been burgled a week earlier and keys to a BMW 3 series had been stolen.

The woman had another set of keys to the vehicle with her in the bedroom when the teenager burst in holding a knife.

He said to her: "Give me the keys to your car and your door keys."

The woman said the keys were downstairs and the youngster left the room to search for them.

She then locked herself in the room and called police.

The defendant returned and began kicking the bedroom door.

He left after smashing a door panel.

He pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, burglary, handling stolen goods and driving without insurance.

A report assessed him as posing a high risk of re-offending and having little insight into his offending.

Joanna Shepherd, mitigating, said the youngster committed the offences at a time when he was homeless after falling out with his family and suffers from ADHD.

Sentencing the youth to three years and two months detention, Judge Simon Batiste said: "There is no alternative put forward other than an immediate custodial sentence."