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A burglar who stole a selection of underwear from a home in Headingley escaped when a terrified lone occupant confronted him.

The woman screamed in horror when she spotted Craig Hanlon in the doorway of her bedroom of the shared property. The 27-year-old simply said “sorry love” before she slammed her door, locked it and began raising the alarm.

Leeds Crown Court heard that the female had been home alone in the ground-floor flat which she shared with two other females, on the evening of April 13. Prosecutor Jess Buttrell said the woman had gone to bed at around 10pm, but was awoken by the sound of a door banging a short time later.

She could hear somebody coughing and saw the bathroom light was on, before seeing Hanlon. After contacting the police, family and flatmates, she found that the kitchen window was wide open and the back door unlocked.

Police found Hanlon asleep on a chair outside a few doors down. He woke up when he saw them and tried to run, but was detained. On him they found four pairs of knickers and two bralettes, a door key, bank card , a casino voucher and a Polaroid photo - all of which belonged to the three females living in the property.

Hanlon broke into the flat in Headingley and stole several items including knickers and bralettes. (pics by National World)

He later admitted to police that he was in the area at the time and was on his way home but bought a bottle of rum and drank it all. He said he could not remember thereafter, but denied having a fetish for women’s underwear.

Hanlon, of Outgang Lane, Bramley, has no previous convictions and admitted a charge of dwelling burglary.

Mitigating, Martin Morrow conceded there were “some unusual factors” about the case, given what was stolen, but said: “It’s clear alcohol is a cause for concern. He acted completely out of character.

“He is absolutely mortified of his behaviour. He drinks intermittently, but when he does he does to excess. He is genuinely sorry and remorseful for his actions and wishes to apologise unreservedly to the complainants. He can’t comprehend why he behaved in the way that he did. He acted bizarrely.”

He said that Hanlon lived with his mother and five siblings, helping to look after them. He said he had also been offered a warehouse job.

Judge Tahir Khan KC told Hanlon: “The only rational explanation for what you did is that you were so inebriated you lost all sense of right and wrong.

“You have never been in trouble before and it seems you are ordinarily a hard-working young man.”

He gave him a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 20 rehabilitation days, 150 hours of unpaid work and a 120-day alcohol monitoring requirement.

'Bizarre' knickers burglar confronted by terrified lone woman in Headingley home