Leeds burglar left mum scared for her young daughter after breaking into her home 'thinking it was a hotel'

The victim bravely told a court how Daniel Paul Khosa, from Leeds, left her feeling anxious, vulnerable and violated after he burgled her family home in York in June this year.

Khosa, 32, of Kendal Drive in Halton, targeted the house shortly before 5pm on a Saturday afternoon in the city, claiming he thought it was a hotel.

But the quick-thinking mum, who found him on the stairs while her daughter was playing in her room, managed to grab a photo of Khosa as he fled the property in a vehicle.

Khosa was arrested after detective managed to track him down from the photograph, and initially maintained his innocence before later changing his plea to guilty.

He was jailed for 14 months at York Crown Court this week.

In her statement to the court, the victim described how her panic at finding Khosa in her home turned to fear for her family, anxiety and anger at having their security violated.

She said: “It is hard to describe all the emotions that I went through when I saw the ‘alleged offender’ walking down the stairs.

"My first thought was for my eight year-old daughter who was playing on her own in her bedroom upstairs. I was anxious and scared.

“As he was walking down the stairs I was horrified about what he was going to do next as I felt incredibly vulnerable and was desperate for him to leave the house. My sense of relief after shutting the door behind him turned into sheer panic, when, just after taking the picture of the car he was driving, he came out of the car shouting and started banging on my front door.

“Since the burglary I feel upset that my daughter had to experience this terrible episode. I feel that the privacy of our home has been violated and I’m really angry at the thought of him rummaging through our belongings and intimate possessions. As a family, we have become a lot more cautious and suspicious about people coming near our house.”

Following the sentence, investigating officer Pc Andrew Chapman of North Yorkshire Police said: “Coming face to face with a burglar in her home was a truly terrifying experience for the victim, especially whilst her young daughter was just a short distance away playing in her bedroom.

“I’d like to praise the victim for her quick thinking actions which enabled us to promptly identify and locate Khosa and get him before the courts.

“The sentence demonstrates how serious North Yorkshire Police is about pursuing burglars and bringing them to justice – we work round the clock, 365 days a year to make sure that people like him don’t get away with crime, however much they continue maintain their innocence.

“Whilst I know it may take some time for the victims to feel safe in their home again I hope they will find some comfort in the fact that Khosa is now behind bars.”

Khosa’s sentence is to run consecutively to a prison sentence he is already currently serving.