A HANDYMAN has been jailed for 12 years after threatening to burn his former employers alive as they lay in bed.

Benjamin Grundy, 31, was convicted by a jury of 11 men and one woman in under half an hour for the aggravated burglary of Rod and Debora Graham's home in Carlton, near Goole, and for damaging Lord Howard's Ferrari when he broke into a garage in Carlton Towers later the same morning.

Judge Paul Batty QC, the recorder of York, labelled the trial "farcical" following Grundy's decision to not enter the witness box and offer a defence.

York Crown Court heard Grundy had put a T-shirt over a security light before climbing a ladder up to the bedroom window of the Graham's home armed with a knife, lighter, wrench, weed killing machine and petrol on July 6.

It was 4.30am and the couple and their eldest daughter were all asleep inside.

Grundy, of Kitchener Street, Selby, was aware of the converted barn's layout because he had completed odd jobs inside the home while it was being renovated in 2014.

Mrs Graham woke first when she heard a noise in their en-suite, and thought it was her daughter.

When she called out and received no response, she woke up her husband who did the same.

Grundy then emerged from the bathroom and doused the couple in petrol, demanding they hand over cash and a car.

Mr Graham told the court: "I recognised him straight away and said 'Ben, what are you doing here?"

"He had a knife, a weed killing machine and a wrench. He said he wanted money and a car, and said do what I tell you or I will burn you alive."

Mr Graham told Grundy he would give him what he was asking for if he went downstairs but he broke down and told the couple he needed help as his wife and children had left him.

This gave Mr Graham the chance to lead Grundy out of his home and call the police, however, when they arrived he had already fled.

He was found almost five hours later in a garage on the Carlton Towers estate attempting to commit suicide.

Police found Lord Howard's Ferrari, which was in the garage of the Grade I listed Victorian gothic country house, had been vandalised.

Grundy, was found guilty of aggravated burglary, threatening to destroy or damage property by fire and damaging a Ferrari.

He was found not guilty of having a bladed article.

In his police interview he claimed he could not have been inside the bedroom as he was attempting to commit suicide after leaving a friend's barbecue earlier in the evening, and he entered the Carlton Towers garage believing it was his home.

Judge Batty QC said: "You have had a farcical trial where you have had no evidence.

"It's no wonder the jury has convicted you in devil fast time.

"The aggravated burglary was a particularly serious offence. The occupants were asleep when you put a ladder up to their window.

"You were armed with a knife that you had taken from their outbuilding and a very sinister aspect of the case was that you covered over a security light with a T-shirt.

"You threatened to burn the householders with the petrol and set them alight if they didn't give you cash and a car.

"This was desperately serious stuff in my judgement.

"The victim personal statements that I have read have shown this had a profound effect. It has caused Mrs Graham trouble sleeping, they have put in extra security and had a serious effect on their daughter."