Knife-wielding burglar jailed

A woman was awoken by an “almighty blow” to her head when a knife-wielding intruder came into the bedroom of her Warrington flat in the early hours of the morning, a court heard.

Moments before her partner had been asleep on a settee when Amen Elgaddari broke into their Warrington flat. He heard a noise at the window and then saw the defendant who held a knife with a five inch blade to his throat.
“He asked where his mobile phone was and told him not to make a noise,” said Chris Hopkins, prosecuting.
Elgaddari took Joshua Johnson’s phone and he then saw him go into the bedroom of his partner, Rebecca Phillips and heard a “thudding noise” coming from her bedroom.
“Ms Phillips made a noise . He thought she was dead. She came into the room covered in blood and Mr Johnson feared that she had been stabbed,” said Mr Hopkins.
She later told how she had “been awoken by what she described as an almighty blow to the head.”

The “terrified” victim saw Elgaddari, whose brother was the father of her child, leaving the flat in Grasmere Avenue, Poplars and Hulme, by the back door, having taken her mobile phone.
He had got in by climbing through an open window. He was subsequently arrested and made no comment, said Mr Hopkins.
She needed a wound to her head glueing and she was found to have slight concussion. She told how since the incident on June 6 last year she had been struggling to go out and had been having nightmares and anxiety.
“My home does not feel like my home, he had been in my bedroom,” she stated.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that she had thrown away all her bedding as it had been covered in blood following the attack.

Mr Johnson told how he was worried about his partner and felt like “less a man” for not having done more to help her.
Mr Hopkins had told the court that there was an acrimonious background between the defendant and his brothers.
36-year-old Elgaddari, a father-of-three, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and assault causing actual bodily harm. He has previous convictions including assault and possessing an offensive weapon.
Mr Hopkins had told the court that there was an acrimonious background between the defendant and his brothers.
Judge Brian Cummings, KC, ruled that he represents a significant risk of serious harm to the public and jailed him for six years and nine months – of which he will have to serve two thirds – and imposed an extended licence of four years.

He told him that the incident  had been “very alarming, serious and very dangerous. You had a knife with you and there is no knowing what might happen in those circumstances.”
The judge told Elgaddari, who appeared via video link, that it was fortunate the episode was not even more serious as it was not possible to predict the reaction of people finding a man with a knife in their home in the early hours of the morning.
A psychiatrist found that he had traits of an emotional unstable personality disorder combined with the harmful use of drugs and alcohol, said Judge Cummings.
But he added, “You knew it was wrong and you did it anyway.”
Jeremy Rawson, defending, said that his personality disorder contributed to him acting in such an unregulated manner. “He had submitted a letter of regret and remorse and references speak highly of him as a family man.”
He said that the incident arose against “a fractured and hostile background.” He had acted out of character and there is a need for ongoing therapy, said Mr Rawson.