A COUPLE returned from holiday to find a ‘Goldilocks’ intruder asleep in their bed.

Lukasz Chojnowski, 28, took a perfumed bubble bath, cooked food and, unlike many burglars who ransacked their targets, had kept the Nelson home of Mary Dyson, 73, and her partner John Holtby, 78, neat and tidy.

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Burnley Crown Court was told how the pair were confronted by the ‘extraordinary and bizarre’ situation when they arrived back just before midnight on July 14 and found Chojnowski, a stranger, had made himself ‘very much at home.’

The hearing was told how the defendant also had weapons – a metal claw hammer, a knife, a truncheon and some scissors – around him.

The judge, who let him walk free, said he thought Chojnowski, who is Polish and doesn't speak much English, had been desperate and was probably hiding and afraid.

Chojnowski, who worked at Bouyant Upholstery, Nelson, and lived in the town, admitted burglary and theft of food, drink and utilities.

The defendant, more recently of Bury, was given a two-year conditional discharge and must pay £200 costs.

Prosecutor Tim Ashmole told the court Mrs Dyson and Mr Holtby returned from their five-day break to find Chojnowski was using their home as a ‘cosy little hideaway’.

When they arrived back, the first thing that drew their attention was the fact there was no post behind the door. The cordless telephone had also been moved from its base on a table in the hallway.

The couple went into the kitchen and found food, bags of pasta, processed cheese and chicken fillets, which didn't belong to them, on the worktops.

Mr Ashmole said Mr Holtby went upstairs and his partner heard him say: “What are you doing? Get out, get up.”

She became immediately alarmed, ran upstairs and came across a ‘bizarre situation’ where Mr Holtby was standing over the defendant, who was in bed.

She described Chojnowski as cowering under the bed sheets.

The prosecutor said an open suitcase, with the defendant's belongings in, was on the floor.

The bath was half-full of hot water, with bubbles on top, as if someone had just had a bath and there was a smell of perfume, like something had been added to it.

Mr Ashmole continued: “In short, the defendant was making himself very much at home in their address.”

The couple tried to communicate with Chojnowski, but had trouble, English not being his first language.

They called 999 and Mrs Dyson locked the front door to prevent Chojnowski escaping.

She then had a good look round her home and found a rear window had been forced. The victims found a number of items were out of place.

A metal claw hammer, knife and a ceremonial wooden truncheon were in an open bedroom cabinet drawer, with some kitchen scissors.

The defendant was arrested and interviewed and said he had thought the house was empty. He said he had been living in this country since March and was an upholsterer at Buoyant. He had no previous convictions.

Laura Heywood, defending, said Chojnowski didn't have anywhere to live after an argument with the people he lived with. The defendant chose the house because he initially thought it was empty.

The barrister continued: “He said the garden was overgrown. He entered and at that point, he must have known somebody was residing there. He stayed there for two days, hoping the owners wouldn't return, out of necessity, because he didn't have anywhere else to stay.”

Recorder Raymond Herman said: “This is an unusual burglary offence. It lies somewhere between squatting and a burglary offence. It looks to me as if he was hiding.

“The weapons around him suggest he was afraid of something and he took refuge in somebody else's house.”

Passing sentence, the judge told the defendant: "It's right to say Mary Dyson and John Holtby are at pains to ensure the court understands that they feel you left the house in a neat and tidy condition and from that I infer they feel some sympathy for you.”