A “smiling” midnight home-raider, who tricked his trusting neighbour into allowing three masked violent armed burglars into his flat, leaving the victim covered in blood after a forty-minute ordeal, has been caged for fourteen months.
The victim, who received a serious stab wound to his hand and was punched in the face by the unknown trio – armed with a gun and knives – leapt to a neighbour’s balcony below in a desperate bid to raise the alarm.
Brian Coleman, 20, of Cordwainer House, Mare Street, Hackney, pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court (pictured) to burgling the nearby flat on August 23, last year, stealing two mobile phones, two sets of keys and a house phone.
Specialist armed response police officers rushed to the scene, but the three young black suspects, who had demanded cash and drugs throughout the raid escaped.
Prosecutor Miss Mandy McLean told the court it was nearly midnight when the victim, Adil Lakhar, heard his doorbell and kicking at his front door.
“He looked through the spy-hole and saw his neighbour Brian Coleman. He noticed he was smiling and opened the door.
“The three black suspects ran into the flat shouting aggressively. One had a gun and the other two had knives.
“They were shouting: ‘Where’s the drugs? Where’s the money? Where’s the safe?’ explained Miss McLean. “The males made Mr. Lakhar open his empty safe, but continued shouting: ‘Where’s the stuff?”
Somehow Mr. Lakhar managed to escape, but was forced back up to his flat by one of the intruders and noticed for the first time he had been stabbed and was then punched in the face.
The three eventually left and Mr. Lakhar raised the alarm with his startled neighbour noticing his head and face were covered in blood.
When questioned by police Coleman initially claimed he knew nothing about the planned raid, but later said he was threatened by the gang to get Mr. Lakhar’s front door open.
A 16 year-old girl witness later told police she heard Coleman discussing the “safe” in the flat with the three suspects.
Judge Nicholas Huskinson told Coleman: “You knew these premises were being targeted by these three men and were going to enter against the occupant’s will.
“I accept there was some pressure placed upon you, but this case is so serious it demands an immediate custodial sentence.”
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