An Aberdeen granny was woken in the middle of the night by a masked man breaking into her house but challenged the intruder and sent him packing.
Brandon Phillips took a spade to the living room window of the woman’s home on Cairnwell Drive before clambering inside.
The 20-year-old not only woke up the occupant of the Mastrick address but also her neighbours, who looked on in shock as he climbed inside.
But the would-be thief quickly turned on his heels and fled as the fearless gran came downstairs and challenged him.
The night intruder would later be caught when his DNA was found on the spade he left at the scene.
Phillips behind bars
Fiscal depute David Rogers told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened just before 4am on July 10 2022.
He said the woman was in bed upstairs when she heard someone trying her front door.
As her grandson was out, she assumed this was him and did not get up to check.
Mr Rogers said: “A short time later, she heard a loud smashing sound coming from the living room window.
“At this time, neighbours across the street also heard this noise and looked out of their respective windows and observed a male, the accused, wearing all black and his face covered using an unidentified item to break the window before climbing inside.”
The startled grandmother then got up and made her way downstairs to check on her dogs who had started barking.
DNA snared night intruder
On seeing Phillips climbing through her shattered window, she challenged him and he immediately “jumped back through the window and ran down a nearby lane”.
Police attended and recovered the spade outside the property. It was analysed forensically and had Phillips’ DNA on the handle.
Phillips, of Ash-hill Drive, Aberdeen, pled guilty to housebreaking with intent to steal.
Defence agent David Sutherland said that due to other matters only a custodial sentence could be imposed.
He also highlighted his client’s young age.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis handed Phillips eight months’ detention.
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