STAB-ATTACK BURGLAR JAILED
Man and dog repeatedly slashed in terrifying or deal
A householder and his pet dog were stabbed and beaten in a “terrifying” attack when masked intruders smashed into their home.
Neil Metters and his girlfriend were asleep in the house at Gleneagles Square in Sunderland when two raiders burst in on March 19.
In the horrifying violence that followed, Mr Metters was repeatedly stabbed and slashed.
His pet, who had been biting the strangers who entered their home, was stabbed in the shoulder and repeatedly punched.
At Newcastle Crown Court Lee Dunn, 40, of Alnwick Road, Sunderland, admitted aggravated burglary and having an offensive weapon and has been jailed for 10 years with a five year extended licence period.
Judge Sarah Mallett said Dunn poses a “significant risk” to the public and may serve the entire 10-year term unless the parole board deem him safe to be freed earlier.
The judge told Dunn: “It doesn’t bear thinking about really, how terrifying this must have been for him, to be attacked, in his own home, for no apparent reason and to go through the experience he did at your hands.”
Dunn was ordered to stay away from the victims under the terms of a lifelong restraining order.
The court heard Dunn had been in Mr Metters’ street the night before the violence, looking for someone he believed his girlfriend had been seeing.
There was no suggestion Dunn had any issues with Mr Metters and it remains “inexplicable” why he was targeted.
Prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court Mr Metters and his girlfriend had been woken just before 6am by a “loud smashing sound” and heard footsteps charging upstairs.
Mr Metters fired warning shots from an air pistol to try and deter the intruders but the invasion continued.
Mr Bunch said: “The defendant, who had a balaclava on covering his face and may have had his hood up, stabbed him in the left shoulder in a downwards motion, using a large knife brought by him to the scene.
“The victim began grappling with him.”
The court heard the two intruders were then chased downstairs by Mr Metters’ dog. Mr Bunch added “The dog was biting into the leg of the defendant. He responded by stabbing the dog to the shoulder area.”
The court heard in a bid to stop any further attack on his pet, Mr Metters grabbed for the knife and suffered a cut to his hand. Mr Bunch added: “He (Dunn) brought the knife down again, slashing Mr Metters across the face, forehead and cheek.
“At this point the victim believed he had lost his eye.”
Dunn lashed out at Mr Metters with the knife for a final time and caused another cut before his balaclava came off in a scuffle with the desperate householder and the intruders fled back out through the patio doors.
Mr Metters had a large laceration to his face, a deep cut to his shoulder where muscle was exposed and required plastic surgery, a cut to his hand and a slash to his elbow.
In a victim statement he said the invasion of his home that night has had a huge impact on him and the property is now up for sale.
He told police : “I wish I could eliminate and erase this day and return to the person I was beforehand.
“I am scarred for life. There is a constant reminder every time I look in the mirror.”
Mr Metters said his dog is now “frightened of his own shadow”.
Paul Rooney, defending, said Dunn was in a “dark place” at the time and had been having up to two litres of vodka per day plus class A drugs.
Mr Rooney said Dunn had already sought professional help before he committed the offence and was taken to hospital with renal failure immediately after it.
He added: “Through me, he wishes to apologise to the two people who were victims that night. He tells me if he had any money at all, he would give them everything he had.
“There is no explanation for the way he acted.”
“I am scarred for life. There is a constant reminder every time I look in the mirror”