Burglar caught after naked householder hit him over head with bottle of washing-up liquid

A naked householder who chased and grabbed a burglar has been praised for his bravery by a judge in Teesside. Drink and drug-addled intruder Neville Holdsworth got more than he bargained for when he was confronted by a nude 64-year-old man. The householder caught the burglar in his garage and hit him over the head with a bottle of washing-up liquid. Then he dragged the offender back into the house in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough and shouted for his partner to call the police.
Judge Michael Taylor ordered he should receive £200 from public funds, saying: “He is a very brave man. He is to be commended for what he has done. It was public-spirited. It was extremely brave.” The householder, who asked not to be named, saw the burglar jailed for three-and-a-half years at Teesside Crown Court on Monday. Afterwards the former local government officer said: “I don’t think I was brave. I think it was just a reaction, adrenaline and anger.” He said he jumped out of bed when he heard footsteps on the stairs and realized there was an intruder in his partner’s home of 35 years.
He chased the burglar Holdsworth, a criminal with 169 offenses on his record, through the house and into the garage. He grabbed the disorientated invader and found the bottle of washing-up liquid was “the first thing that came to hand”. He said: “I thought, what do I do now? I’m in the garage, I’m naked, I’ve got him, I can’t let go of him. I had to drag him through the house and shout to my partner who was fast asleep.” Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said the householder asked Holdsworth what he was doing in the home during the confrontation at about 10pm on July 10. Holdsworth replied feebly: “I’ve got the wrong house mate... I only wanted to use the toilet.”
Police arrived and found a stolen mobile phone, an iPod and speaker in his jacket. Holdsworth, of Pallister Park, Middlesbrough, admitted burglary. His criminal record, stretching back to his youth, also included numerous non-home burglaries and thefts. Judge Taylor told Holdsworth his addictions might be an explanation, but were no excuse. He said: “You can’t keep out of other people’s property and you can’t stop stealing things. “The time has come when you need to be kept away from the public for a lengthier period of time, so that hopefully it will shake you out of this form of offending.” He jailed Holdsworth for three-and-a-half years, saying he hoped it would bring the victim some closure.