An elderly woman put up a spirited fight after she was shocked to discover an intruder in her bedroom at night, a court heard.

The 71-year-old bit inebriated James Parsons and aimed a kick at his groin as he tried to steal property at her bungalow in Hextable.

She had been asleep in the early hours of December 21 last year when her bedroom door opened and Parsons, 33, entered.

Prosecutor Alexia Zimbler said the woman jumped out of bed and only managed to get one arm into her dressing gown before she was grabbed around the waist.

“She was shocked and concerned for safety,” Miss Zimbler told Maidstone Crown Court.

“She screamed out hoping to awaken her son.

“He still had his arms around her and would not let her go. He told her: ‘Don’t scream. Do you want to live?”

But the victim continued to scream and he put his hand over her mouth. She bit him on the finger and he then moved his hand further over her face, suffocating her.

She tried to knee him in the groin but could not do so because her dressing gown was tangled.

Parsons became angry and grabbed her around the neck, telling her: “If you don’t stop screaming I am going to smash your head against this wall.”

He pushed her and she fell. Her son appeared in the room to see the intruder holding down his mother.

The son swore at Parsons and tussled with him as his mother dialled 999.

Parsons ranted that there were 10 armed travellers outside who were going to kill him. He eventually broke free and ran off.

The victims gave a description to police and an E-fit was circulated. Blood from the son’s finger was matched to Parsons' DNA.

He handed himself in after a friend saw the E-fit and told him.

Parsons, of Lullingstone Avenue, Swanley, was wanted at the time for theft after stealing from his employer, Storage King, based in Dartford.

He stole £2,451 in cash he should have banked and sold £9,333 worth of NHS shower units on eBay.

He admitted burglary and theft. Two assault charges were left on the court file.

“This is quite plainly an extremely serious offence by any standards" - Judge Martin Joy

Jailing him for a total of five years, Judge Martin Joy said when the woman jumped out of bed it “must have felt like a nightmare”.

“She was terrified and screaming,” he said. “This is quite plainly an extremely serious offence by any standards. It was bound to cause trauma.

“It was committed by a man who had already had too many brushes with the law. You have ignored chances given to you in the past.

“Alcohol creates a situation of danger and unpredictability. It was committed by a man who was effectively on the run.”

The judge added: “You say you have no recollection of the offence, which is surprising.”

Parsons was sentenced to four years for the burglary and one year consecutive for the theft.