A mum was slashed with a knife during a terrifying home raid by two intruders in the dead of night.
The woman and her grown up son were asleep in their home in Blyth, Northumberland, when they were woken by the sound of breaking glass. When the son came out of his bedroom and put a light on, he was greeted by the sight of Jamie Smith, who was holding wire or rope and another man who had a knife.
Newcastle Crown Court heard it was in the early hours of December 14 2021 that the pair broke into the house. Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, said: "They were looking for money, shouting 'where's the money' and they searched a couple of rooms looking for money."
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The son recognised Smith and asked what he was doing in his house. His accomplice, a smaller man wearing a snood and armed with what looked like a potato knife, was asking where the man's brother and the money were and lunged at him with the knife.
Smith then said to the man: "Sorry, it was not supposed to go down like this".
The woman then turned to get her phone, which was charging next to her bed. Miss Haugstad said: "The shorter man in the snood and gloves followed her and lunged towards her with the knife, shouting 'give me the phone'.
"She dropped it and raised her hands as if to surrender and he slashed her middle finger with the knife. They then left the house." Police were called and the woman's injury had to be stitched.
Smith, 28, of no fixed address, who has 52 previous convictions, including for three robberies, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and was jailed for eight years and given a 10-year restraining order. A second man stood trial but a judge found there to be no case to answer.
Kate Barnes, defending, said: "During the trial of (the man who was cleared) it was said Mr Smith stayed on the landing and repeatedly said sorry and said things were not meant to go down like this. He is genuinely sorry for the effect on the victims. He had no idea what had gone on in the bedroom.
"He has become institutionalised and comes out of custody and doesn't know what to do." The court heard he was in care from the age of nine.
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