Woman confronted by masked teenager in her Leeds home said: 'It was like a horror film'
A woman who was confronted by a masked teenage burglar in her own home said it was “like something from a horror film”.
Junaid Hussain was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week for the break-in New Farnley in Leeds.
The 18-year-old was with another masked male when they smashed a conservatory window to gain entry.
But they were then scared away by the woman who was alone in the four-bedroom detached property.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: “I felt like I was in a horror film, I was so scared.
“I could not stop shaking and did not want to eat or drink for two days.
“I struggle to be on my own, even for a minute.”
The court was told that Hussain and his accomplice spent 90 minutes or more scoping out the home in the Stephenson Drive area on the afternoon of September 23.
At around 1.45pm, the woman heard dogs barking and looked out of the window, but could not see any disturbance.
She went towards the conservatory and saw Hussain, dressed all in black and wearing a balaclava, inside the conservatory and trying to open the internal door.
She shouted and he and the other male fled from the property. Panic-stricken, she called her mother who dialled 999.
CCTV from around her home was analysed and showed the pair entering the garden of her premises multiple times and smashing the window, before finally returning and letting themselves in.
The photos stills from the footage were circulated and a Leeds police officer recognised Hussain.
Hussain, of Tong Street, Bradford, was arrested and interviewed, but refused to answer questions.
He has 16 previous convictions for 28 offences, including six for burglaries. He was on a youth referral order at the time of the latest burglary, having been convicted of dangerous driving in January.
Admitting a charge of dwelling burglary, he appeared in court over a video link from HMP Doncaster, where he was being held on remand.
Mitigating, Fiona Lamb pointed to his very young age and said it was the first time he had tasted custody, having been held on remand for 21 days.
She asked the judge to give him “one final chance” but said he “could not complain” if he remained locked up.
She said: “He knows how horrible prison is....he wishes to live a law-abiding life.”
She said his father was murdered in July of this year.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told him that offences such as burglary as “very serious indeed”.
He gave him 15 months’ detention in a young offender institute.