Man jailed over knifepoint burglary in Scarborough as accomplice given suspended sentence
The victim said he thought he was going to die during the terrifying ordeal
A man has been jailed for more than six years after holding a knife to a victim's throat during a terrifying break-in at his home in Scarborough.
35-year-old Matthew Williams, of no fixed address, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison at York Crown Court on 22nd October, after pleading guilty on the first day of trial.
19-year-old Kyle Smith, of Blenheim Terrace, was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for three years, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.
What happened
At around 10.40pm on 28th August 2025, the victim was woken by the pair, who had forced entry into his flat in the Esplanade area of the town, according to police.
A kitchen knife was held to the victim's throat as he was threatened and his flat was searched.
Items stolen included a 55-inch television, a wallet containing bank cards, alcohol, tobacco, and the knife used to threaten him.
The pair then fled the scene in a vehicle which had been stolen in the days before the burglary.
The investigation
Officers identified a silver Ford Transit van captured on CCTV travelling to and from the location at the time, police said.
Further CCTV evidence later showed the same vehicle parking on the Edgehill estate, where two men were seen hiding kitchen knives behind a bin before walking away.
Officers recovered the knives, including one that matched the description given by the victim.
Shortly after midnight, officers located and arrested Williams and Smith nearby on Seamer Road. They were wearing clothing that matched descriptions of the suspects seen on CCTV leaving the vehicle, police said.
At the time of his arrest, Williams was found to be in possession of Class A and Class B drugs.
A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of the stolen television and wallet. Forensic examination of items recovered from the van identified Smith's fingerprints, police said.
Forensic analysis of the knives revealed Williams' DNA on both weapons, and Smith's DNA on one. Williams' DNA was also recovered from a cushion zip inside the victim's flat.
In his police interview, Williams said he had previously helped the victim prepare a Sunday dinner and had used the knife to chop onions, but this account was refuted by the victim, police said.
Faced with the evidence, both men pleaded guilty.
The victim's account
In a victim impact statement read at court, the victim described how the ordeal left him believing he was going to die. He was not physically injured, but said the experience has had a lasting impact on his mental health, and that he continues to think about what happened every day.
"I was asleep in my home when I was suddenly awoken by intruders, one holding a knife to my throat. I felt completely helpless, in what should have been the safety of my own home," he said.
"I feel I have lost a sense of security, it's difficult to move past the feeling that when I wake up during the night, it might be to intruders threatening my life. The feeling of safety in my own home is gone," he said.
Reaction
Williams was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228, and Smith was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £187.
Following sentencing, Detective Constable Sam Rivers, of North Yorkshire Police's Scarborough and Ryedale CID, said: "Burglars are a scourge on our communities. Invading people's homes is a crime only the lowest of the low commit."
"The defendant attempted to explain away the damning evidence by claiming his DNA was found on the knife because he had previously been helping the victim chop onions for a Sunday dinner in his flat. While imaginative, this explanation was seen for what it was, ridiculous," DC Rivers said.
"The reality is, this was a violent and premeditated offence, the suspects can now reflect on this crime from their prison cells," DC Rivers said.