A terrified Faversham mum woke up in bed to find a masked burglar with his hands around her throat.

The victim’s baby was sleeping in a cot in the same bedroom when the horrific attack happened.

Prosecutor Alex Zimbler told Canterbury Crown Court how night-time raider Ayo Scott had armed himself with a large kitchen knife demanding: "money, money, money".

The 44-year-old serial burglar, from Benstead Grove, Faversham, had broken into the house wearing a balaclava – just a day after being released from prison.

The victim was woken suddenly because someone was sat on her bed holding her down.

She could see it was a male and that he was holding a large kitchen knife in his hand with a 12 inch blade.

Scott put the knife against her nose “lifting the skin and cutting her” and then snarled:
“Give me your money!”

The woman – who cannot be named for legal reasons – pleaded with her attacker that she had only £10 in her purse.

"Your victim was completely terrified and not surprisingly now feels vulnerable and anxious around people and has had to move away from the area" - Judge Adele Williams

Ms Zimbler added: “He got up off the bed and went to a cupboard, opened it up but took nothing out.

"He looked at his victim and said: 'Where’s your safe?' before thrusting the knife towards her saying: 'money, money, money'."

The prosecutor said the woman’s daughter then woke up crying and as she cuddled her, Scott shouted: “No, no, no”.

He then took hold of the baby as the mum dressed before searching another bedroom and then leaving the property with a lighter and aftershave, the court heard.

Ms Zimbler added: “The victim went to the landing and saw blood on the stairs, the banister and the light switch.

“She was scared and in a panic called her mother before going downstairs and realising her front room and kitchen had been searched.

“She has been severely affected by the incident and now feels unsafe at home. She is fearful when people come close to her and gets jumpy when she hears a knock at the door," she added.

Scott, who has an 80 offence-long criminal record, was arrested when he turned up at Canterbury Probation offices for a meeting.

He was given a 12-year extended jail sentence after admitting aggravated burglary.

He will now serve at least two-thirds of an eight year custodial jail sentence and the judge added another four years, which he will have to serve on licence when released.

Judge Adele Williams told him: "In July this year you went to your victim’s house wearing a balaclava and put your arms around her throat. You were carrying a knife and cut her nose, fortunately not in a grave way.

"Your victim was completely terrified and not surprisingly now feels vulnerable and anxious around people and has had to move away from the area."

After the sentencing, the south east's chief crown prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said: "None of us can imagine the sheer terror this victim must have felt to have woken up and found an attacker in her own bedroom with a knife in hand.

"With children in the room, she had the presence of mind to appeal to her attacker not to do anything with them in the room and fortunately, her attacker left.

"This attack has taken its toll on the victim in this case, but hopefully the fact that her attacker has been locked up for such a long period of time will help her to feel safer in the future."