A MIDDLE-AGED woman faced 'every householder's worst nightmare' when a crazed knifeman turned up at her home at midnight.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Josephine Devereux feared for her life as she was dragged across the road at knifepoint by paranoid schizophrenic David Hargreaves, 20, who then stabbed her neighbour through his front door.

Hargreaves then walked to Burnley General Hospital, asked to see a psychiatrist, threatened to kill himself and pointed the weapon at a security officer.

Hargreaves, said by his counsel to be resigned to detention, where he was sharing a cell with his cousin, was sent to a Young Offenders' Institution for four years.

Sentencing him, Judge Raymond Bennett said Mrs Devereux must have been terrified and left in fear after what he did.

The defendant, of Heath Street, Burnley, admitted kidnap, unlawful wounding and possessing a bladed weapon, in March..

Arthur Stuttard, prosecuting, said 55 year old Mrs Devereux, whose husband suffered from Parkinsons Disease, was watching television at her Burnley home. Her husband was asleep in bed. She heard a knock at the door, got hold of the handle thinking it was a neighbour, but the door opened and a knife was pushed through the opening. Hargreaves then forced her back into the hall, pointed the knife at her face and demanded car keys. Mrs Devereux said she did not have a car,. Hargreaves told her to take him to somebody who did, but the complainant was afraid to scream because of her husband's condition.

The defendant took hold of Mrs Devereux and led her across the road to the home of Robert Chips, a neighbour he believed had a vehicle. He told her to knock, threatened to use the knife and ordered her to tell Mr Chips he was her cousin.

Mr Stuttard said Mrs Devereux knocked on the door, called out her name and as Mr Chips came to the door and Hargreaves swapped hands with the knife, she managed to pull away and into Mr Chips' home. Mrs Devereux and Mr Chips closed the door but the defendant stabbed through the plastic surround, catching Mr Chips' finger.

Mr Chips shouted for his wife to ring the police and the defendant was spotted running off.