A pensioner has told of her terror after waking up to find a thief crouching in her bedroom next to a kitchen knife.
The 83-year-old bravely gave chase when she discovered Clark Bowie, 42, next to her dressing table but he managed to flee the scene with jewellery and cash worth more than £3,000.
The widowed grandmother has now revealed how the frightening experience had left her too scared to be on her own.
Bowie, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to theft by housebreaking at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Depute fiscal Katy Begg said: “At 1.20am on February 22 the witness was awoken by the accused crouching by her dressing table in her bedroom. On being disturbed he quickly exited her room.”
Ms Begg said a kitchen knife was found on the floor where he had been standing.
Police were contacted and officers noted a window panel had been removed at the rear of the house in the Rosemount area of Aberdeen.
Jewellery, cash and a purse were taken worth a total of £3,410.
Ms Begg told the court Bowie was eventually traced after his DNA was found at the scene.
Speaking after the court case, his victim remembered the moment she awoke to find the stranger in her bedroom and told how the crime had had a profound impact on her life.
She said: “At first you’re kind of stunned, and then the panic sets in after. I just remember sitting up and there was a mound – then the face appeared.
“I went chasing after him and I saw all the bedroom doors open.
“The jewellery boxes were all laid out on the floor and I looked at my ring box and I shook it and realised the rings were gone and the necklaces. What was the really scary bit is when I saw the 12-inch knife, which had been taken out of the kitchen drawer.
“For weeks I had to have my family and friends stay most weeks. It was horrendous – I couldn’t sleep for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Any noise or any creak panicked me – it was awful.”
Keep up to date with the latest news with The Evening Express newsletter
Since the break-in her family have bought her a dog to make her feel more comfortable and safe.
She added: “I’m just always grateful I wasn’t hurt. It struck home. When you see a knife there, you think if it had been someone else, would he have used the knife?
“I hope he gets a long sentence.”
Bowie also admitted breaking into a flat on Frederick Street in Aberdeen on February 13 and stealing a games console and medication.
Defence agent Christopher Maitland said: “I’m asking my ladyship to defer sentence for a report to be prepared.”
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin deferred sentence until next month.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.