Four young women have been left traumatised after a terrifying late-night home invasion in Aberdeen.
The victims were awoken at 2am as intruder Jay McBain smashed his way through the patio door of their Westburn Drive home.
As one woman hid in the wardrobe and called police another bravely confronted him in the hallway – and was attacked with a metal bar.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told McBain, 20, then started trying to kick his way into a bedroom while the two other petrified occupants tried desperately to hold the door shut.
Fiscal depute Christy Ward said the noise of smashing glass woke the women at 2am on July 24 and they immediately texted each other from their bedrooms.
After establishing none of them had been responsible, one got up to investigate.
He was walking towards her … she started screaming
Ms Ward said: “She saw torchlight coming from the back of the house.
“She switched on the hallway light and saw a male walking towards her. She started screaming and retreated back into her bedroom.”
Another of the residents heard McBain shout “come on then” and hid in a wardrobe to call the police.
Ms Ward said: “The first female heard the male walking towards the second female’s bedroom so she entered the hallway again, this time in possession of her tennis racquet.
“She hit him to the shoulder and chest area a number of times which caused him to back off slightly.
“She then saw he was holding a black crowbar type object which he swung and hit her to her right ear and shoulder.
“As she turned to retreat back into her bedroom she was struck to the back with the object.”
McBain was then heard entering the second woman’s bedroom.
A third female, who had also contacted police, hid in a bedroom with the fourth woman, standing behind the door.
McBain repeatedly kicked the door to gain entry but the pair managed to hold it shut and screamed that the police had been called.
It was then that McBain left the property – but not before stealing one of the cars in their driveway.
Another witness, who lives nearby, heard the screams and looked outside to see the vehicle reversing out of the driveway and hitting a wall before driving off in an “aggressive” manner.
The vehicle was traced by police at 10.15am the same morning on Springhill Terrace, with McBain seen on CCTV exiting the car.
McBain ‘horrified and ashamed’ of behaviour
Later in the afternoon of the same day officers on patrol spotted McBain in a nearby doorway on Davidson Drive.
However, when they approached him he fled and, after more officers were called to assist, he was traced “hiding under a bed” at an address on Byron Court.
The car was examined and a bread knife, stolen from the house, was discovered as well as a black metal pole.
McBain, of Davidson Drive, Aberdeen, admitted theft by housebreaking and theft of a vehicle, assault to injury, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
Defence agent John Ferrie said his client has “very limited previous convictions”.
He added: “He is absolutely horrified and ashamed of the way he behaved that night and wished to publicly apologise to the people in the house that night.”
The solicitor went on: “He does show victim empathy.”
‘Deeply traumatic experience’
Sheriff Graham Buchanan said: “These crimes are very serious indeed.
“You broke into this house in the middle of the night and proceeded to arm yourself with a metal bar which you used to assault one of the occupants of the house.
“That is a very serious matter indeed.
“Anyone who was significantly older than yourself would receive a pretty lengthy sentence of imprisonment. I do, of course, have to treat you slightly differently in that you are still only 20 and committed this offence when you were 19.
“I take that into consideration.
“It’s plain to me from the victim impact statements prepared by the ladies who lived in this house this was a deeply traumatic experience for them.
“I take the view it’s quite likely to be a long time before they recover from the appalling experience you inflicted upon them that night.
“I take the view, notwithstanding your age and limited record, these matters are of such seriousness only a custodial sentence can be imposed.”
The sheriff handed McBain a two-year custodial sentence with a 12-month supervised released order on top.
He also banned him from driving for 30 months.