A MASKED burglar stood over a woman shouting “police, police, police” before running out of her mother’s house with a handbag.

Judge Beverley Lunt described Liam Heaton’s behaviour as “bizarre” when he appeared before her to be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court.

Prosecutor Stephen Parker told the court that 22-year-old Heaton had gone into the house in Cog Lane, Burnley, the previous night to warn Rebecca Smalley that she had left the keys to the house in the outside lock of the front door.

Mr Parker said although Miss Smalley was sleeping on the downstairs sofa at the time she was not alarmed because she had known Heaton, previously of Pink Street, Burnley, for close to 20 years.

But in the early hours of March 4 Miss Smalley awoke to see a dark figure crouched down in the corner of the room.

Mr Parker said: "This person ran towards her, lent over her and bizarrely started shouting 'police, police, police'

"That woke up her mother, Angela McIntosh, who was upstairs sleeping.

"Miss Smalley said she could recognise the defendant. He had a ski mask covering his face but she could still tell it was him because of how long she had known him. He recognised her at this stage. He had her mother's handbag under his arm. He ran into the kitchen and climbed out of the window which was odd because he could have left via the front door."

Later in the day Heaton rang his victim to apologise and his dad returned the stolen handbag, though it had been emptied of its contents, the prosecutor said.

When arrested by police Heaton said he had not been responsible for the burglary and claimed Miss Smalley had made it all up.

But he admitted a single count of burglary when he appeared before Burnley magistrates in March.

Defending, Mark Stuart said his client had committed the offence when he had stopped taking his mental health medication and cannot remember the burglary.

Mr Stuart said: "The defendant has little or no recollection of the incident. There was no great need for him to commit the burglary. He had split from his long-term partner. He seemed to have stopped taking his medication and was to some extent off the rails."

Heaton was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Judge Lunt added: "This was a bizarre set of circumstances."