Newsome family subjected to terrifying robbery on family home

Jun 13 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A TERRIFIED family were forced to move out of their Huddersfield home for a fortnight after being subjected to a frightening robbery.

Bradford Crown Court was told that a kitchen knife was brandished by one of the intruders during the family’s ordeal and he threatened to stab householder Wayne McCluskey if he contacted the police.

Prosecutor John Swoboda said Mr McCluskey’s partner Claire Holt and their children, aged three and four, were present during the robbery, which happened at their Newsome home in January.

The court heard that prior to the robbery 25-year-old Curtis Cooper had visited the house after bumping into his former school colleague Mr McCluskey in the street.

But when he returned four days later he was with another man and they became aggressive.

Mr Swoboda described how Cooper, who had two previous convictions for robbery as a teenager, waved about a knife with a nine-inch blade in the front room.

The men said they were going to take various property, including a mini-motorbike belonging to one of the children.

Mr Swoboda said the children were upset and crying and Miss Holt refused to leave the room because she feared what might happen to her partner.

Eventually the men fled with property worth more than £500.

Mr Swoboda said the family were so affected by the incident that they felt they couldn’t stay in their home for the next two weeks and went to stay with Mr McCluskey’s mother.

Cooper, of Primrose Hill Road, Primrose Hill, pleaded guilty to the robbery charge at a previous hearing and yesterday was jailed for three-and-a-half years.