A thief stabbed his elderly victim in the face with a screwdriver - narrowly missing her eye - during a burglary for which one assailant has been jailed for eight years.
Patrick O’Leary, 21, of Carmelite Road, Harrow Weald, and two other men forced their way into a 67-year-old woman's home in East Finchley, north London, on February 20 after banging on the front door.
She tried to escape through the door but one of the men - no-one can say for sure it was O'Leary - grabbed her by the arm and slammed the door against her arm, causing numbness.
The burglar demanded to know where her valuables were kept and took her to the bedroom where he forced her into handing over £600 cash.
He threatened her with a screwdriver and demanded to know where her jewellery was before stabbing her in the face, very close to her eye, with the screwdriver.
He dragged the woman to the stairs whereupon the doorbell rang and two concerned workmen, who had seen the three suspects force their way into the victim's home, waited to be let in.
All three burglars then ran out of the front of the house and O'Leary was detained by the two workmen.
There was a struggle and one of the workmen was stabbed in the leg, shoulder and buttocks with the screwdriver.
Only when the other two suspects came back with screwdrivers did the workmen let O'Leary go but the 21-year-old, of Harrow Weald, north-west London, was later traced.
He was charged with a variety of offences including the grievous bodily harm with intent for the stabbing of the woman in the face under the joint enterprise rule even though he may not dealt the injurious blow.
Detective Constable Yogini Patel, investigating officer from Barnet Serious Acquisitive Crime Unit, said: “I am pleased that O’Leary has received a lengthy custodial sentence.
“This is a particularly violent burglary that could have been worse had it not been for the courageous efforts of the two workmen.”
O’Leary was sentenced on Monday last week at Wood Green Crown Court after admitting aggravated burglary, causing actual bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
He had denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent but after a trial lasting three days was found unanimously guilty.
