A burglar who left a woman “sobbing hysterically” after threatening her with a screwdriver during a terrifying raid on her Flintshire home has been jailed for two and a half years.
Luke Thomas Jones, 22, targeted a detached property in Pantasaph, near Holywell , on the morning of March 16 this year in search of cash to fund his drugs habit, Chester Crown Court heard.
He had previously denied a charge of burglary and was due to stand trial, but pleaded guilty at the hearing today.
Jones is already serving a 21-month prison sentence for a “high value” burglary committed in the same village on the same day, and this latest jail term will run consecutively.
Prosecuting barrister, Kim Halsall, said the victim Julie Williams was alone and having a bath when the defendant broke into the detached property.
'Quite distressed'
She heard a noise downstairs and when she went to investigate discovered the back door was open, kitchen drawers had been opened and tins moved.
Ms Halsall told the court that Jones then walked “calmly” towards the victim, who said: “Who the hell are you?”
Jones replied: “Never mind who I am, f*** off.”
The defendant continued to walk around the house and the victim followed him.
He then threatened her with the screwdriver before fleeing the property with just £10 and a key, both of which were stolen from her purse.
The victim was “sobbing hysterically” as she called the police and was “quite distressed”, Ms Halsall added.
Jones was arrested the following day after being caught with jewellery he’d stolen in another burglary at a property in Pantasaph.
He pleaded guilty to that offence after his DNA was found on a coke bottle and was sentenced in April.
Defending barrister, Oliver King, said his client had pleaded guilty to avoid the victim having to give evidence at a trial.
He said: “It’s dawned on him that there is a human being that has been affected by this. He did not wish to put this woman through any more than what she’s been through.”
'Two bad cases of burglary'
Mr King said Jones had started to get back into old habits of drug use soon after his release from youth custody following previous burglary convictions.
“This was a desperate attempt by him to get some money to fund that habit, it’s as simple as that,” he explained.
Judge Geraint Walters told Jones he had a “shocking” number of convictions for dishonesty, adding: “Your plea comes on the day of the trial. There is very little credit I can give you for a plea this late.
“This was without a shadow of a doubt a planned burglary. You were brazen. You reacted by walking calmly towards her and aggressively reacted to her challenging you.
“You had a screwdriver which you were lunging towards her. These were two bad cases of burglary.”
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