A teenager who carried out a terrifying knifepoint robbery at the home of an 87-year-old stroke victim has been locked up for four years.

Christopher Scaife, 18, put a knife to widow Anne Thornton's chest and forced her back into her Silsden home after she answered a knock at her door.

Prosecutor Austin Newman told Brad-ford Crown Court how Mrs Thornton collapsed into a chair and suffered severe shortness of breath during the incident last April.

Scaife, who was wearing a balaclava, rifled through her purse and took out about £15 in notes.

Mr Newman said: "Observing Mrs Thornton's distress the defendant asked her if she needed any tablets." After rummaging around on a table Scaife handed Mrs Thornton a respirator before leaving with the money.

"Mrs Thornton was unable to go out immediately to raise the alarm but fortunately about ten minutes later her daughter came to visit her and the police were summoned," said Mr Newman.

A neighbour who had seen Scaife preparing to commit the offence recognised him as his former paperboy and when police officers examined the scene they also found his fingerprints on a cup.

Scaife, who had no previous convictions, was arrested the next day from his home in Windsor Avenue, Silsden.

He denied being involved in the offence, but last Friday was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery.

Scaife's barrister Robin Denny said fortunately the elderly woman did not suffer any long-term effects and he noted that his client's 'act of mercy' had resulted in there being more evidence against him.

Judge Alistair McCallum sentenced Scaife to four years in a young offenders' institution and told him: "You have pleaded guilty to what is described by the psychiatrist who examined you as a serious and horrific crime. Having read the reports in your case it seems that you have shown very little remorse for what you did."

Judge McCallum said the sentence was intended to show that the courts deal severely with people who break into the homes of the elderly.

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