Burglar threatened to sue his victim for stopping him from fleeing the scene of break in

A burglar threatened to sue his victim for stopping him from fleeing the scene of a break in. Lee Johnson was disturbed by landlord Paul Clare as he tried to raid the Waterside pub in Eccles, Salford, Manchester Crown Court heard.
But because his escape was foiled by a struggle which ended with a fall through a window, the burglar decided that he was the victim. Mr Clare, 45, who lives above the pub, was woken by loud banging in the middle of the night. When he went downstairs to investigate, Johnson, who was high on crack cocaine, leapt from behind the bar and vaulted to a window to escape.

The intruder managed to force it open and get half his body through. But Mr Clare grabbed his legs in a bid to stop him getting away. In the struggle that followed Mr Clare was struck in the mouth, causing him to bite his own tongue.

But he refused to give up and one of Johnson’s shoes fell off in the tussle. The court heard Johnson then shouted ‘I’ll sue you’ as he fell through the window before cutting his head. Police were there within seconds of Johnson landing on the ground, and arrested the burglar at the scene. Johnson was jailed for 15 months.