One of the householders was disturbed as he slept by Christopher Holley, 18, who left a ceremonial knife with an eight inch blade at the other house.

Holley, who was over the drink-drive limit, was later found hiding on the axle of a lorry and refused to come out for police.The 18 year old of Mallard Lane, St Neots, admitted aggravated burglary in Great Paxton High Street on April 11, taking a car and drink-driving.

At Huntingdon Crown Court he asked for a further five offences of dishonesty to be taken into consideration and was sentenced to 18 months in custody, along with a 12-month driving ban.

Judge Nicholas Coleman told him: "They are very serious matters."

Caroline Allison, prosecuting, said a householder had woken up to find a figure standing near him.
He followed the man out of the house and called the police.

His wallet with £50 in it was missing and £200 damage had been caused to a window.

Another resident found someone had been in her house and her handbag had been ransacked. Her partner's car keys were missing and a knife with an eight inch blade had been left behind.

Miss Allison said police spotted a youth wearing a camouflaged jacket with the Peugeot car which was driven off. Police carried out a search involving a police dog handler and the force helicopter. The teenager, who was found hiding on the lorry axle in River Lane, still had the stolen wallet.

The court heard Holley was more than double the drink-drive limit when he was arrested.

Allison Summers, defending, said Holley, who was 17 at the time, had broken up with his girlfriend and had gone to get his possessions from her house, but found himself without transport.

He intended to knock on a door to get access to a telephone, but decided to break-in and steal on the spur of the moment.

Miss Summers said the knife had been amongst his possessions and must have fallen out of his bag. There had been no confrontations.

The court heard that Holley had spent 128 days in custody since his arrest.

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