Burglar suffered fractured skull after victim chased and caught him

Kyle William James Millar was handed a two-year sentence after he admitted breaking into a house in the early hours of September 5 last year and stealing two high-end cameras.

The father of one, from Berlin Street in Belfast, will serve half the sentence in prison, and half on licence when he is released.

Belfast Crown Court heard that in the aftermath of the break-in in the Knockbreda area of south Belfast, the occupant went outside to try and find the burglar and retrieve the cameras. He located Millar in a nearby street, and following an altercation, Millar was pushed and fell backwards against a wall.

During the fall, Millar’s head struck the wall and he was rendered unconscious. He sustained a fractured skull, damage was also caused to his spine and frontal lobe and his condition at one stage in hospital was described as “touch and go” by his barrister.

A prosecution lawyer said Millar had a “relevant criminal record”.

Defence barrister Luke Curran spoke of the “robust” way the occupier dealt with his client, who spent almost four weeks in hospital where he was treated for serious injuries.