Woman armed herself with samurai sword to confront masked burglars trying to steal their £42k Audi

A woman who armed herself with her husband’s samurai sword to confront masked burglars trying to steal their £42,000 Audi supercar almost killed one of them when they grabbed the blade.  

The woman pointed the blade at Rehan Malik, 23, and ordered him to stay put until police arrived at their home in Shipley, West Yorkshire.

He grabbed the blade with his bare hands, trying to wrestle it off her. But the woman was terrified he would turn the weapon against her and refused to let go of the weapon.

The sword sliced through both Malik’s hands during the struggle outside the garage where the couple’s Audi S3 was parked.

Malik left a trail of blood behind him as he jumped into a getaway car with his two accomplices following the bungled raid.

Bradford Crown Court heard he was caught after checking himself into hospital and lost so much blood he nearly died.

The court heard the broke in through the kitchen window of the couple’s home in Avondale Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire, at 5.30am on October 25.

The husband was confronted by a masked man in the kitchen, demanding the keys to the Audi.

He dashed up the stairs to dial 999, grabbing the Samurai sword as a weapon.

He stood on the landing with the sheathed weapon to defend himself, prosecutor Clare Walsh said.

Meanwhile, the couple heard the car start up and realised the raiders had found the keys.

Malik, from Bradford, was trying to make off with Audi S3 but it got stuck in the garage doors. He and the two henchmen tried to free the vehicle.

It was then that the woman unsheathed the sword to defend herself and went out to the garage. She pointed it at Malik, who was trying to get away in the Audi, to keep him there until the police arrived.

He grabbed at the blade, cutting both his hands and spattering blood in the car and around the garage. The three were then driven from the scene in a getaway vehicle.

The police checked up on hospitals in the region and discovered that Malik had sought medical help in Barnsley.

He spent five days on the ward and would have died from blood loss if he had delayed seeking help any longer, the court was told.

He needed blood transfusions and had lost all feeling in both his hands because the nerves were severed, his barrister Shufqat Khan said.

Malik was unable to get the treatment he needed while on remand in prison and might be left permanently disabled.

He had decided to go straight because he was unable to even open a can or bottle. He had to be dressed by a cellmate who was effectively his carer.

He was also sentenced for dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance – offences committed before the burglary while he was on licence.

The court heard Malik was pursued by the police at 9.30am on April 12 at speeds at up to 90mph from Parry Lane to Feather Road in Bradford.

He jumped a red light and mounted the kerb in a Seat car, but drove down a dead end and was caught.

Malik, who has previous convictions for house burglary, dangerous driving and theft of vehicles, admitted all the offences.

He was given consecutive jail sentences of 12 months for dangerous driving and 32 months for the burglary – a total of three years and eight months. He was banned from driving for 58 months.

Judge Jonathan Rose underlined Malik injured himself by grabbing the blade. The woman was terrified that he would seize the weapon from her and use it against her. She was totally blameless.