A teenager who carried out a terrifying knifepoint home invasion has been locked up.
Nathan Bell’s victim was woken by the sound of someone forcing entry into his home, followed by footsteps on the stairs.
The 18-year-old then burst into his room brandishing a knife and demanding money, before forcing the man to carry his own TV set out into the street.
Bell, whose address is given in court papers as a prisoner at Polmont, appeared via video link for sentencing at Inverness Sheriff Court on a charge of hamesucken and robbery.
Fiscal depute Sharon Ralph said the incident occurred in Dalneigh on April 1 of this year, after the witness went to bed at 10pm.
“At 11pm on the same date the witness was awoken to the sound of a disturbance from the rear of his property he believed that someone was trying to force entry into his house,” she said.
Knife-wielding teen entered bedroom
“He decided to stay in bed hoping the person would leave without any further incident, however he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.
“The accused then entered the bedroom and brandished a knife towards him.”
The court heard that Bell then told his victim to hand over cash, at which point the man emptied his pockets and handed over some loose change.
Still holding the knife Bell made the man go downstairs where he ordered him to carry his television set out into the street.
But the man took this chance and made his escape.
“The witness noticed that the accused was some distance ahead so he put the television on the ground and went home, where he contacted emergency services,” Ms Ralph said.
The court was told that after this incident Bell turned up at another address demanding to be let in, but was asked to leave when the householder realised he had a television and a knife with him.
Teen threw away TV and knife
He did leave, throwing the TV over a fence and tossing the knife into the front garden of the property.
Police traced Bell a short distance away and he was arrested.
Bell’s solicitor Marc Dickson said his client had been drinking with others before the incident and had been upset by suggestions that his victim had made remarks about his mother.
Sheriff Sara Matheson told Bell: “In my judgement, a custodial sentence is inevitable for an offence such as this involving hamesucken and robbery involving a knife.”
She sentenced Bell to 13 months imprisonment backdated to April 4.
