A householder was threatened with Aids when he tried to tackle a drug-addict burglar who disturbed him in bed.
Mohammed Afzal Ismail was at his home in Heaton Road, Bradford, with his two teenage sons when Christopher Edwards got into the house at about 9am.
Bradford Crown Court heard that Mr Ismail was half asleep when he saw a figure in the doorway of his bedroom.
Prosecutor Gavin Howie described how the householder initially thought it was one of his sons, but then realised it was an intruder.
Edwards, 26, of Birr Road, Heaton, went into the bedroom and picked up a lap-top computer before going downstairs.
The householder managed to grab Edwards as he tried to escape through a porch doorway, but he was then told: "Do you want Aids? I'll stab you with a needle".
"The defendant then seemed to reach inside his jacket," said Mr Howie. "Not surprisingly Mr Ismail lets go and sees the defendant running up the street."
Edwards fled with various items including the lap-top, a mobile phone and an MP3 player.
Edwards, who had been released from a four-year prison sentence shortly before, was arrested a week after the burglary in July and during interviews with police he went on to admit a further nine house burglaries and one commercial burglary.
Yesterday he pleaded guilty to burgling Mr Ismail's home and asked for the other ten offences to be taken into consideration.
Mr Howie said additional offences involved the theft of property totalling about £10,000.
Jailing Edwards for three-and-a-half years Judge Robert Bartfield said: "Understandably he Mr Ismail tried to detain you. You did try to escape rather than confront him but you couldn't and you told him you had got a needle in your pocket and asked him if he wanted Aids.
"That was deeply frightening for him and you were allowed to leave."
Judge Bartfield said the jail sentence had to be enough to reflect the seriousness of the offence and to give the public a rest from Edwards' activities for a significant period of time.
Edwards' barrister Gerald Hendron conceded that the burglary was aggravated by the fact that there had been a confrontation and a threat had been made.
"Your Honour will not be surprised to hear that there was no needle in his pocket ... but nonetheless it would be extremely frightening for the occupant," said Mr Hendron.
The court heard that Edwards had been battling a long-standing addiction to heroin and Mr Hendron said he should get credit for his admissions to the police as part of their "clean slate policy".
Mr Ismail, 38, welcomed the jail sentence. He said: "I am glad he is off the streets. It is a good sentence, but he will probably be out in six months and be doing the same again.
"I was furious when I found him in my bedroom. I was half asleep and heard a rustling. I thought it was my son.
"I chased after him and grabbed him by the throat at the bottom of the stairs. I let him go when he said he had Aids and threatened to stab me with a needle. I thought he probably didn't have Aids but he looked like a drug addict and I wasn't going to take the chance."
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