A WEAPON was held “dagger-style” against the chest of a retired woman as she fell victim to a terrifying “steal to order’ car-jacking on the driveway of her home, a court heard.

As he jailed two Bradford men over the “chilling” incident in Skipton, a judge expressed his growing concern over the use of hire cars in serious crime.

Adam Takolia, 20, and Junaid Khan, 21, followed the high-performance Seat Leon Cupra until it pulled up outside a house in Skipton.

They then confronted the lone occupant, a “vulnerable” woman, on her driveway. The pair are understood to have been wearing balaclavas during the early evening attack in June.

Bradford Crown Court heard that a weapon, possibly a screwdriver, was held “dagger-style” towards the victim’s chest. The stolen car and a hired vehicle, another Seat Leon which the criminals had been using, were driven off. Parts from the stolen Cupra were later found in Bradford.

Khan, of Folkestone Street, Bradford Moor, and Takolia, Farleton Drive, Fagley, were both found guilty of robbery following a trial and were sentenced to five and six years in custody respectively.

Recorder of Bradford Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC described the robbery as a planned, targeted offence involving “stealing to order.”

The complainant had been driving her son’s vehicle at the time and Judge Durham Hall said it would have looked like an attractive, sporty car worth many thousands of pounds.

The judge said the victim was left utterly distressed and shocked by the incident and the vehicle had now gone.

“You targeted a vulnerable lady on her own,” said the judge.

“At her home, in her drive alone and you carried out your planned expedition with a degree of skill that is chilling. And you have shown no remorse...not an iota.”

Takolia was given the longer sentence after the judge heard details of previous convictions including robberies, dangerous driving and drugs offences.

After the defendants were taken into custody the judge was asked about the return of the Seat Leon, but he said the court was becoming increasingly concerned about the availability of hire cars to criminals for use in organised crime and drugs matters. He said he was not prepared to make an order for the return of the Leon at this stage.