A masked man who carried out a terrifying attack on a family after bursting into their home has been jailed for six years at Lincoln Crown Court.
Nathan Newman knocked on the door of the property in Alfred Avenue, Metheringham and confronted the husband saying “You’re the lad I’m looking for. Can I come in for a chat?”
Newman, who was holding a knife and wearing a mask with a skull motif which covered the whole of his face, then went inside the property as the husband retreated.
Noel Philo, prosecuting, said the husband, who moments earlier had been relaxing with his family after a Sunday meal, feared what would happen.
“He went to the door and was confronted by the defendant who was dressed in a way to make himself unrecognisable. The defendant was clearly menacing and the husband was alarmed.
“As the husband moved away from the door, he tripped over the baby gate and fell onto his two year old.”
Mr Philo said the husband fled into the back garden where he held his child by the hand and attempted to lower her over the fence into the neighbour’s garden for safety.
Newman then confronted the man’s wife telling her “Give me all the jewellery and the cash or I’m going to stab you all up.”
The wife barricaded herself in a room and called the police.
Mr Philo said: “It was a truly traumatic and frightening experience for everyone in the house. “
Newman then left the property, slashing two tyres on the husband’s van before running off.
Mr Philo said: “In due course when he had been identified by his fingerprints, his home was visited by the police. He wasn’t there but the knife and various items of clothing were there.
“Eventually he gave himself up but did not volunteer any information to the police during interviews.”
Newman, 32, of The Furlongs, Market Rasen, admitted attempted robbery, possession of a bladed article and damaging property as a result of the incident on March 28 this year.
Judge John Pini QC told him: “It is perfectly clear that this family were left utterly traumatised and in profound fear.”
Jonathan Straw, in mitigation, described the offence as bizarre and said there was no evidence that Newman knew any of the people in the house.
“Whatever delusion he was proceeding under it plainly was completely misplaced.
“Until the break-up of a relationship he had simply lived a lawful life. There has since clearly been a decline in his mental health.”
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