A masked intruder robbed a terrified lone woman at

A masked intruder robbed a terrified lone woman at knifepoint before subjecting her to a nightmare sex ordeal, a jury heard today (Tuesday).

The ‘bulky’ stranger burst into a South London home to hold a large knife to his victim’s face and demand cash and jewellery.

But her last pnds stlng 20 and mobile ‘phone were not enough for the bandit.

Realising the 50-year-old was alone in the Lewisham house, the attacker first forced her to undergo a degrading sex act and then raped her.

London’s Southwark Crown Court heard Anthony Burke, 28, dropped his balaclava in the house when he ran off – and was later trapped by DNA tests left on the material from his saliva.

His victim told the jury she had let herself into her boyfriend’s home in March this year and was walking upstairs when there was a ‘loud and persistent’ ringing on the front communal door.

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Miss X said: ‘I opened the door and there was a person rushing me, pushing me back very quickly.

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I ended up sprawled on the first stairs.

‘I gave a scream ”what’s going on” and there was a man sprawled over me.

There was a knife held to the right side of my face.

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She said her attacker told her: ‘Shut up or I will kill you.

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She handed over her valuables but the bandit merely demanded more.

‘I told him I had no more money and I was a poor person.

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Miss X said she was frogmarched up the stairs into the flat, again be threatened she would be killed if she did not obey.

In the living room, she said the attacker looked out of the window and drew the curtains.

‘He told me to come over to where he was standing.

I did so.

‘I just remember being on the floor in a sort of sitting position.

I don’t know if he pushed me or my legs just buckled,’ said Miss X.

‘He said ”if you look at me I will kill you”.

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he reminded me he had the knife so I did what he said.

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She said once again money was demanded but she repeated neither she nor her boyfriend had any cash.

Miss X was then forced to have oral sex and then raped before the attacker fled into the night.

Burke, a student, of Ryecroft Road, Lewisham, denies rape, indecent assault and robbery on March 27 this year.

Ian Wade, prosecuting, said in his rush to get away, Burke dropped the
balaclava – which was found by Miss X’s boyfriend as he returned home.

Moments later he was confronted by a ‘distressed’ Miss.

X and called the police.

The abandoned piece of clothing had a name tag stitched inside – revealing it belonged to Burke’s half-brother.

Burke was arrested on April 22 and Mr Wade said ‘DNA proved the saliva inside the hat is Burke’s – that is the link that establishes that Burke was the man wearing the balaclava who attacked MIss X.

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When interviewed, the defendant maintained at the time of the attack he was at home with his other.

Mr Wade said Burke claimed he had been at nearby Lewisham College where he was a student during the day but went straight home, ate dinner and watched television with his mother.

‘For one brief moment he said he went out again to see a friend but then denied it, retracted the answer,’ said Mr Wade.

‘But the Crown say if he ever went home, he certainly went out again.

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The barrister said the issue for the jury was Burke’s alibi – the defendant admitted he often wore the balaclava.

‘He says he simply does not know how it got into the house.

His defence is that it may be his saliva but he has no idea how the hat came to be there.

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The trial continues.

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