Homeless and hungry burglar confronted by terrified Leeds student

A student came face to face with a burglar in her own flat after getting up to investigate the sound of footsteps.

The terrified woman was met by Damien Robinson who was holding her camera and backpack that he had just picked up.

Robinson was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week as a third-strike burglar - meaning it was the third time he has been convicted of break-ins, resulting in a mandatory three-year sentence.

The 35-year-old admitted the break in, and a further attempted dwelling burglary and a commercial burglary after he was caught in the staff room of a city-centre Tesco store.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said the first victim had been in her ground-floor flat on The Headrow on the evening of April 3, when she was disturbed by footsteps.

She found Robinson stood in her hallway with her items. She asked for them back and he passed them to her before leaving. But she later found that he had also taken her iPhone which he had kept.

Hours later Robinson entered the same building and let himself into another flat, but was met by a man who had heard the door open. He left empty handed on this occasion.

Then finally on April 5, he was caught sneaking into the staff area of the Tesco on Wellington Street. He told the store manager he was looking for his aunt.

He had taken a purse from a handbag which was recovered and he was escorted from the premises.

Robinson has 148 offences on his criminal record, including more than 40 for burglaries and attempted burglaries.

Go behind the headlines from the courtroom with the YEP's new weekly courts newsletter. Sign up here for exclusive insights from court reporter, Nick Frame

Mitigating, Nathan Davis said Robinson had been diagnosed with schizophrenia six years ago, was homeless and stole purely to buy food.

Robinson appeared in court over a video link from HMP Leeds, where he spent the hearing pacing around the small conference suite. Mr Davis said it was evident that prison was “taking its toll” on his mental health.

Judge Howard Crowson handed him the mandatory third-strike sentence, and with credit for his guilty pleas, was reduced to just over 29 months.