South Yorkshire burglar raided a home as a mum and her young son were in bed

Sheffield Crown Court heard on February 25 how Lee Rowlands, aged 46, of Hague Avenue, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, entered the home on Broadway, at East Dene, in Rotherham, during the middle of the night.

Neil Coxon, prosecuting, explained the woman in the property heard noises and thought it had been her partner returning from a hospital visit through their unlocked front door so she texted him but he replied saying he was still at the hospital.

Mr Coxon said: “The complainant heard the front door and heard someone walk into the living room and kitchen and made the assumption it was her partner and not wanting to wake her five-year-old son she texted saying is he home and he said he was still at the hospital.

“She realised there was an intruder in the home and she called a neighbour.”

Mr Coxon added Rowlands was forced to flee after he heard voices pretending to be the police and he was detained by the neighbour and her 15-year-old son and other neighbours came to their assistance.

The complainant noticed a butter knife had been taken from a cutlery drawer and this was found near to where Rowlands was detained by the neighbours and police.

Rowlands, who has 17 previous convictions including a burglary, pleaded guilty to the burglary after the raid on January 3.

Rebecca Tanner, defending, said Rowlands has a series of mental health and substance abuse problems and he had been released from a custodial sentence in August, 2021, but there were failures with regards to the support plan that had been put in place for him.

Ms Tanner added Rowlands also suffered two significant bereavements and he started using alcohol and drugs and he committed the burglary even though he had promised himself that he would never commit an offence like that again.

She said: “In his mind he did not think anyone was in the property and hearing there was a woman and a small child in the property has come as a shock to him.”

Ms Tanner added: “He badly regrets it. He wants to impress upon the court nobody is more disappointed than he is that he has committed another burglary offence.”

Rowlands told the court that he was “truly sorry” and he has been worrying about the offence while he has been remanded in custody and he hoped that “little lad” did not wake up.

He said: “I can remember watching telly when I was a kid with my mum when I was about ten-years-old and I remember saying ‘there is no people around here that do that are there?’, and now I realise there is.”

Judge Rachael Harrison sentenced Rowlands to 876 days of custody which is about two years and eight months of custody.

She told him: “You told me both earlier in the week and today that you are sorry but you clearly badly scared your victim and I am afraid that is what happens when you enter other people’s homes.”