Say What Now? ‘Bogeyman’ Burglar Jailed After Found Under Young Boy’s Bed Wearing Only the Child’s Underwear

The traumatized family believed Ahmad Hassan had departed from their home after discovering it in disarray. However, to their horror, one of the sons stumbled upon him hiding under the bed, clad only in a pair of the boy’s underwear.

A terrified boy came face-to-face with the horror of Halloween when he discovered a night-time burglar hiding under his bed and naked apart from the child’s own pants.

Dubbed a real-life Bogeyman by police, Ahmad Hassan left the youngster in fear of going to his bedroom alone, while his brother was so traumatised he vomited.

A court heard the shocking discovery was made after they had returned home with their mum from trick or treating.

Despite finding doors and windows open at the Folkestone property and the interior ransacked, the family believed the intruder had left.

But then one of the boys was greeted by the “mortifying” sight under his bed.

Police were alerted and found Hassan, by now in another bedroom, lying on the floor stretched out in a starfish position and still wearing the boy’s orange pants.

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The 28-year-old later denied burglary with intent to steal but was found guilty after a jury deliberated for just 40 minutes.

He did not give evidence at his trial – where a police officer described him to jurors as the Bogeyman – but Canterbury Crown Court heard he had been under the influence of drugs at the time.

Now, on being jailed, a judge has told him she could not “begin to imagine” how his young victim must have felt at what confronted him on October 31 last year.

Prosecutor Alex Matthews told the sentencing hearing on Wednesday that the family returned home at about 9pm to find toys all over the floor, wet clothes in the hallway, and some of their own clothing and bedding disturbed.

“It was thought no one was in the house but, to the shock of one of the children, it transpired the defendant was hiding under the child’s bed. Obviously, the family was rather distressed,” she said.

“The defendant was ultimately found in another son’s bedroom and was clearly under the influence of drink or drugs.”

The court heard it was accepted that Hassan had not forced entry as the homeowner believed she may have left a door open, and nothing was actually stolen.

But in her victim impact statement made a few hours after the burglary, the mum revealed how she and her sons had been affected.

They decided not to stay in the house that night and are believed to have since moved.

“I’m still shaken, feeling extremely anxious, in shock and ultimately scared. I know the house is now safe… but I’m scared to go home,” she told police.

“My children are mortified. One will live constantly thinking someone is in the house. He didn’t want to go back to his bedroom without me.

“My other son threw up as a result of the fear he has been put through.”

Hassan, who has no previous convictions, was said to have lived in the UK for 11 years but was homeless at the time of the offence and leading a “chaotic” life.

It is believed he changed into the boy’s underwear as his own clothing was wet.

Alexa Le Moine, defending, told the court the defendant was “genuinely remorseful” for his actions.

“One cannot understate the intrusion into one’s home – a safe place and refuge for this family. It is hoped this has not impacted in the long term on her and her children,” she said.

“This is, perhaps, a more unusual case in that he was found on the scene, made no attempt to escape, was asleep on the floor and plainly under the influence, which may be an explanation why he entered the premises and remained as he did.”

But her argument that Hassan could be spared immediate custody was rejected by Recorder Christine Wilson.

Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, she said the intrusion into the family’s “safe space” and his subsequent behaviour had resulted in significant psychological harm to all three victims.

“In this case, you didn’t break into the property by damaging any door or window, and you didn’t take anything away,” the judge told Hassan.

“But you entered the property and ransacked a number of toys and garments, including the householder’s underwear.

“You took off all your clothes and put on a pair of orange underpants belonging to one of the small children in the family and then you hid under a child’s bed.

“I cannot begin to imagine what it must have been like for that child, on returning home on Halloween from trick or treating, finding a person naked, apart from that child’s own underpants, under their bed.”

Hassan, who is of no fixed address, was also handed a 10-year restraining order.

via: Kent Online

The post Say What Now? ‘Bogeyman’ Burglar Jailed After Found Under Young Boy’s Bed Wearing Only the Child’s Underwear appeared first on LOVEBSCOTT.