BURGLAR’S LITTLE SLIP-UP

A bungling robber stole a woman’s rings at knifepoint and told her: ‘Remember my name – Eastwood,’ a court heard..

James Eastwood, 22, attacked the woman Weekes after gatecrashing a party at her home in Feltham, west London.

He cut her arms, punched her in the face and throttled her until she threw her jewellery to the floor.

But Eastwood was caught minutes later with the rings in his pocket after police turned up at the house to investigate reports of a disturbance.

The Old Bailey heard the victim had been drinking with a friend and three other men at the house on the night of October 4, 2008, before falling asleep.

Prosecutor Ian Wade said: ‘It was around three or four in the morning when she woke up and heard a noise downstairs.

‘She went to see what was going on and was confronted by the defendant emerging from her living room.

‘She had no idea who he was or that he was there. She confronted him and he was aggressive.

‘She ran back upstairs calling out for help. He produced a knife and he started to attack her and demand her rings.

‘He was saying ”Remember my name … Eastwood.”’

The victim was stabbed twice in the arm, punched in the face and grabbed around the throat.

She distracted the attacker by throwing down her rings and fled out into the street followed by the robbery.

Jurors heard Eastwood ‘effectively ran into the arms of the police’ who had been alerted by neighbours to a disturbance.

In interview he claimed that he had an ‘arrangement’ with the woman to take the rings.

‘He claimed he had gone there with three other men to take cocaine,’ said Mr Wade.

The burglar claimed that any injuries were caused either by the woman herself or in self defence after she attacked him with a knife.

Eastwood, of [23] St Cecelia Court, Northumberland Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, denies robbery and wounding with intent.

Jailing Eastwood for seven years, Judge Martin Stephens QC said: ‘This was a brutal, cowardly attack on a defencless woman who was helpless with drink.

‘You got into her bedroom armed with a knife, punched her in the face and held her by the throat before inflicting nasty wounds to her arms and cuts to her face.

‘Quite what your motive was remains unclear. You have shown no remorse.’