‘Bogeyman’ burglar found below mattress carrying kid’s underwear

A ‘bogeyman’ burglar has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after he was found hiding under a boy’s bed wearing nothing but the child’s pants.

Ahmad Hassan, 28, has been dubbed a real-life bogeyman by police officers after he left the youngster in fear of going to his bedroom alone, while his brother was so traumatised he vomited.

Canterbury Crown Court heard the shocking discovery was made after the young siblings had returned home from trick or treating with their mother on October 31 last year.

Despite finding doors and windows open at the property in Folkestone, Kent, and the interior ransacked, the family believed the intruder had left.

But then one of the boys was greeted by the terrifying sight under his bed.

Police were alerted and found Hassan, by now in another bedroom, lying on the floor stretched out in a starfish position and still wearing the boy’s orange pants.

Hassan later denied burglary with intent to steal but was found guilty after a jury deliberated for just 40 minutes.

He did not give evidence at his trial but Canterbury Crown Court heard he had been under the influence of drugs at the time.

During the trial a police officer described Hassan to jurors as ‘the bogeyman’. 

A judge has told Hassan she could not ‘begin to imagine’ how his young victim must have felt when he found the intruder under his bed on Halloween last year.

Prosecutor Alex Matthews told the sentencing hearing on Wednesday that the family returned home at about 9pm to find toys all over the floor, wet clothes in the hallway, and some of their own clothing and bedding disturbed.

She said: ‘It was thought no one was in the house but, to the shock of one of the children, it transpired the defendant was hiding under the child’s bed.

‘Obviously, the family was rather distressed.

‘The defendant was ultimately found in another son’s bedroom and was clearly under the influence of drink or drugs.’

The court heard it was accepted Hassan had not forced entry as the homeowner believed she may have left a door open, and nothing was actually stolen.

In her victim impact statement, made a few hours after the burglary, the mum revealed how she and her sons had been affected.

They decided not to stay in the house that night and are believed to have since moved.

She told police: ‘I’m still shaken, feeling extremely anxious, in shock and ultimately scared. I know the house is now safe but I’m scared to go home.

‘My children are mortified. One will live constantly thinking someone is in the house. He didn’t want to go back to his bedroom without me.

‘My other son threw up as a result of the fear he has been put through.’

Hassan, who has no previous convictions, was said to have lived in the UK for 11 years but was homeless at the time of the offence and leading a ‘chaotic’ life.

It is believed he changed into the boy’s underwear as his own clothing was wet.

Alexa Le Moine, defending, told the court the defendant was ‘genuinely remorseful’ for his actions.

She said: ‘One cannot understate the intrusion into one’s home – a safe place and refuge for this family.

‘It is hoped this has not impacted in the long term on her and her children.

‘This is, perhaps, a more unusual case in that he was found on the scene, made no attempt to escape, was asleep on the floor and plainly under the influence, which may be an explanation why he entered the premises and remained as he did.’

Her argument that Hassan could be spared immediate custody was rejected by Recorder Christine Wilson who jailed Hassan for two-and-a-half-years.

Recorder Wilson said the intrusion into the family’s ‘safe space’ and his subsequent behaviour had resulted in significant psychological harm to all three victims.

She told Hassan: ‘In this case, you didn’t break into the property by damaging any door or window, and you didn’t take anything away.

‘But you entered the property and ransacked a number of toys and garments, including the householder’s underwear.

‘You took off all your clothes and put on a pair of orange underpants belonging to one of the small children in the family and then you hid under a child’s bed.

‘I cannot begin to imagine what it must have been like for that child, on returning home on Halloween from trick or treating, finding a person naked, apart from that child’s own underpants, under their bed.’

Hassan, who is of no fixed address, was also handed a 10-year restraining order.