‘I came home and found a person rifling through my belongings in the kitchen’
A HULL crime writer has spoken of the moment she came face to face with a burglar in her own home.
It was a case of life imitating art for Gillian Godden when she found a man rifling through her belongings in the kitchen after popping round to see a neighbour.
The incident happened at around 10.45pm on Saturday at Hornby Grove in east Hull.
When she returned home just a few minutes later, she found the door to her property was open.
Within moments, she was face to face with the thief.
The man was arrested the following day, which was captured on phone footage.
Gillian told Hull Live: “I came home and found a young man rifling through my belongings in the kitchen.
“It sounds stupid now, but I shouted, ‘Who are you?’
“He came towards me and had a couple of things in his hand.
“I work at the Bransholme health centre and he had the keys in his hand, so I whipped them off him.
“I told him to get out and he pushed me out of the way before leaving.”
Gillian admits she acted instinctively and realises now how dangerous the situation could have been.
“His eyes looked glazed and I believe he had taken drugs or alcohol,” she said.
“People say I shouldn’t have confronted him as he could have had a knife or anything.
“But I wasn’t really thinking, I just acted.
“He had been up and down the street earlier trying car doors and, earlier, another neighbour had to chase him off.
“He was still milling around until 2am or 3am on Sunday.
“I alerted my neighbours and called the police. He was captured on CCTV while a lot was posted on social media.
“I did not sleep that night. I put the ironing board against the door and left all the lights on.
“The police came and were brilliant.
“They checked everything over and later that day the man was arrested.”
Gillian sees the irony of being a crime writer and then the victim of a crime.
She has written a number of gangland fiction novels inspired by her time living in the east end of London.
“Everyone thought it was funny as I am a crime writer in my spare time,” she said.
“When I told people what happened they thought it was the first chapter of my new book.”
But there is a more serious impact on Gillian, something other victims of crime will be familiar with.
“I am still shaking now,” she said. “This is my home and I don’t feel safe right now.
“We have a great Neighbourhood
Watch and they have been brilliant, but I still feel paranoid.
“My senses have become more heightened and I am always checking the windows and doors.
“The house also feels a bit dirty now after he rummaged around.
“It is not just the stolen property and physical damage but the emotional damage crimes like this cause.”
Humberside Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident.
They also confirmed a man has been arrested and bailed.
A spokeswoman said: “An investigation is ongoing after we were called to reports of a burglary in progress at a property on Hornby Grove, Hull on Saturday, June 18, at 11pm.
“It is reported that a woman had returned home to find a man in her address allegedly searching through her belongings.
“The woman is believed to have confronted the man and he fled the property.
“Nobody was injured as a result of the incident, but she has understandably been left shaken.
“One man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and remains in police custody while we continue with enquiries.”