A shocked home owner was roused from his sleep late at night by a man in his bedroom telling him he had been burgled, a court heard.

Wayne Bethell, who only had socks on his feet, told Philip Hambridge he had chased off the intruders and he should go downstairs to see what had happened.

Mr Hambridge, who was living with his brother in Bullfinch Lane, Sevenoaks, found that cupboards and drawers had been opened and a pane of glass had been smashed to gain entry.

But matters took a sinister turn when Bethell pulled a screwdriver from his pocket, pushed it into Mr Hambridge’s neck and told him: “I’m the one that broke into your house.”

Bethell, who was wearing a black and white striped jersey, then demanded money and the victim’s car keys.

The 37-year-old prolific burglar, of no fixed address, was jailed for 13-and-a-half years on Wednesday for aggravated burglary, burglary and handling stolen goods.

“Remember what I said. If you tell the police I will come back for you and your brother" - Wayne Bethell

He admitted the aggravated burglary shortly before he was due to have a retrial on the charge - a previous jury having failed to reach a verdict on the charge.

Drug addict Bethell had already admitted burgling a house in nearby London Road and handling a Toyota Corolla car stolen from outside a house in Orpington.

Mr Hambridge told the earlier trial at Maidstone Crown Court in March that having taken his car keys Bethell drove him in his Peugeot 306 to a supermarket in Riverhead and forced him to withdraw £250.

He said Bethell threatened to put a hole in his head if he went to the police.

Before running off he told the victim: “Remember what I said. If you tell the police I will come back for you and your brother."

But the prosecution accepted Bethell’s not guilty pleas to kidnap and robbery.

When Mr Hambridge returned home he woke his brother Robert and told him what had happened.

When the father-of-three was arrested Mr Hambridge “positively identified” him.

Prosecutor Alex Balancy said Bethell had previous convictions for 94 offences, more then 20 for house burglaries.

He was sentenced to 10 years for the aggravated burglary, three years for burglary and six months for handling, all consecutive.