"IT beggars belief that people can behave in this way".

That was the verdict of a judge after hearing how Paul Lennon Starr - and possibly others - brought night terror to a young family.

Only one thing stopped Recorder Rodney Jameson QC from locking Starr up indefinitely - the fact that the gun he had on him when arrested couldn't be fired. Instead he jailed him for five years on top of the sentence he is currently serving.

Prosecution barrister Howard Shaw told York Crown Court how a six-month pregnant woman was so terrified by the night raid of Starr and possibly others on her Acomb house that she could not go into the burgled room of her house and had nightmares for weeks afterwards. Burglars had stolen mobile phones, Playstation controls and other items as Alana Grice, her husband Jonathan and their 16-month child slept upstairs.

Their noise woke the couple, Mrs Grice froze in terror, but Mr Grice chased Starr from their front door down the street.

When he caught up with him, Starr frightened him off.

As the couple spoke with police in their home shortly after the burglary, a raider rang, asked if they had been burgled and when she said "yes" replied: "Yes and I'm gonna have your car."

Mrs Grice screamed in terror fearing he would come back.

When arrested five days later, Starr had an imitation BB gun hidden down his trousers, one of the Grices' mobile phones, and was walking away from a car stolen in another burglary committed within hours of the raid.

A jury heard that he tried to get rid of the firearm in a police car.

"Paul Starr has been a serious threat to the residents of York," said Det Con Clive Rich of York CID. "The sentence reflects the severity of what he has done. The police hope that this sentence will act as a deterrent to others who consider crimes of such a serious nature, especially carrying firearms or imitation firearms with them"

Starr, 25, of Acomb Road, Acomb, pleaded guilty to burgling the Grices, theft of £10 at Bismark Street Children's Home the same night as the raid, and handling a stolen car. He denied possessing an imitation firearm when arrested, but the jury convicted him after 23 minutes in retirement.

Defence barrister Michael Collins said Starr was high on a cocktail of Diazepam and alcohol when he committed the burglary and theft and was sorry for the offences he pleaded guilty to.

He was a look-out to three other burglars at the Grices; but the judge said he found that "hard to believe".

Starr told police he had bought the stolen Toyota from a "gypsy" for £250.

Starr's latest path to prison

  • May 23:

1.30am: Staff member David Billington finds Starr in a staff room at Bismark Street Children's Home. Starr is high on drugs and hands over a stolen £10 note. He said a resident had let him in.

5.30am: The Grices woken by banging downstairs. They investigate and find Starr with stolen speakers just outside their front door.

6am. Someone rings the Grices about the burglary.

Same night: Toyota stolen in raid in St Stephen's Road.

  • May 29

7pm: Starr arrested in Lawrence Street with an imitation gun.

  • September 15

Starr pleads guilty to everything except the gun offence.

  • October 11

Jury convict Starr of having the gun and he is jailed for five years.

Starr's shameful past

  • November 1995, aged 14: attempted robbery
  • May 1996: house burglary
  • February 1997, aged 15: first jail term, 18 months for attempted robbery, possessing a bladed object in public, dangerous driving, escape from custody
  • December 1997: 16 months in jail for house burglary, carrying a bladed object and other offences
  • October 1998: 18 months in jail for affray, motoring and dishonesty offences
  • March 2001: 45 months in prison for two night-time house burglaries
  • March 2005: 30 months in prison for burgling 90- yea- old pensioner.