Burglar climbed balcony to break into friend's Hull flat - then threaten him with a knife

A BURGLAR climbed over a 13th floor balcony to break into his friend's flat before threatening him with a knife.

John Stinson, 40, climbed on to his friend and neighbour Colin Coulson's balcony when he was out and kicked down his door.

He had gathered Mr Coulson's property to steal from the flat in Great Thornton Street, west Hull.

When Mr Coulson returned he was threatened by Stinson, who was armed with a knife.

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Jailing him for three years, Judge Mark Bury told Stinson: "This man was your neighbour and you were regarded as a friend and you betrayed that trust by breaking into his property.

"Custody is inevitable."

Hull Crown Court heard Mr Coulson returned to his home at about 8.30pm on June 17 and found his possessions piled up on his sofa.

Prosecutor Jharna Jobes said: "He looked in the kitchen and there was the defendant. Clearly, he was shocked."

Initially, Stinson claimed he had come through the front door after believing Mr Coulson had invited him in.

Mr Coulson replied: "What, by kicking my back door in?" and told him to leave.

Stinson then punched him in the face and held a knife at him, threatening to stab Mr Coulson if he told anyone.

In his victim impact statement, Mr Coulson said: "He was my neighbour and I thought I could trust him but he betrayed me. I'm shocked, upset and angry."

Stinson, who has previous convictions for burglary, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to commit violence.

His barrister John Thackray said: "This was a mean offence. He accepts he should not be stealing from his neighbour.

"He accepts this was a mean and disgraceful act of burglary.

"There was no significant degree of planning. This was a spur of the moment offence."

Judge Mark Bury said Stinson had a serious addiction to Class A drugs.

He said: "In 2005, you were jailed for three years for burglary and since then you have continued to commit offences of an acquisitive nature.

"You committed this disgraceful burglary on your neighbour Mr Coulman, who was a friend of yours.

"He came home to find his back door broken and you had climbed over a balcony and you had prepared items ready for taking them with you.

"When he came home, he was understandably angry with your intrusion and you attacked him by punching him and you threatened him with a knife."

• Crime news for Hull and East Yorkshire