The armed teenager was linked to a terrifying break-in after leaving a trail of blood at the scene
19:00, 07 Aug 2025Updated 19:47, 07 Aug 2025
Stephen Skelhorn, of Primrose Drive in Huyton, aged 19(Image: Merseyside Police)
A teenager shouted “get your kid to ring us” as his friend filmed him smashing his way into a house. Stephen Skelhorn was armed with a knife when he committed the terrifying break-in as the occupants slept, forcing them to abandon their home of more than 30 years.
The burglar was ultimately linked to the incident via a trail of blood which he had left at the scene. It came after he smashed a stolen car into a wall during a police chase and climbed onto a garage roof in order to avoid arrest.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that police spotted a Toyota Prius, which had been “recently stolen in a robbery”, being driven by Skelhorn past Whiston Hospital at around 9.30pm on July 2 2023. When officers began to tail the car, the then 17-year-old made off at speeds of up to 60mph while running red traffic lights, driving on the wrong side of the road and narrowly avoiding collisions with other vehicles.
Lucy Moran, prosecuting, described how Skelhorn then lost control and crashed into the front garden wall of a house at the junction of Warrington Road and Kingsdale Avenue in Rainhill, causing “extensive damage”. Dashcam footage from the pursuing patrol car showed several males fleeing from the stolen Toyota, with the defendant said to have leapt over a fence and onto a garage roof in order to avoid pursuing police.
Skelhorn, of Primrose Drive in Huyton, was arrested five days later on July 5. Ms Moran said the now 19-year-old was at an address on Coronation Drive in Prescot alongside an unidentified male shortly after 2am on May 16 this year.
The occupants, Michael and Mark Underwood, were asleep in bed when they awoke to hear banging and shouting. Ring doorbell camera footage then captured the Skelhorn, who was wearing all black, had his face covered and was armed with a knife, shouting: “Tell your kid to ring us.”
Skelhorn and his accomplice were seen hurling objects at the windows before the teen smashed his way into the living room, where he was said to have damaged property including a television, as his accomplice appeared to video the incident on his mobile phone. Skelhorn was linked to the incident after his DNA was found on droplets of blood which had been left on the smashed window and TV stand. He later handed himself in at Copy Lane Police Station.
In a statement which was read out to the court on his behalf, Michael Underwood said: “I’ve left the family home where I was born in and lived for 36 years due to fear. I’ve never done bad things to anyone and feel I’ve been unfairly attacked due to my surname.
“My late mum’s belongings are still there. I feel like my life has been completely ruined by these lads’ actions. The long term effect will be with me for a long time, if not my life.”
Skelhorn has three previous convictions for possession of a bladed article in a public place, as well as offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and violent disorder from 2021 and 2022 respectively. Tom Watson, defending, told the court: “He says he had [the knife] to scare.
“We say that it is to do with his lifestyle and drug debt and it is drug related. There is mention, effectively, that he was instructed by someone else to do it. The defendant does wish me, on his behalf, to apologise.
“One watches that video and understands why the victim has been frightened and felt the need to uproot from where he lived. To his credit, that is something that he was asked about and he has indicated remorse. Not only remorse, but understanding.
“There are no excuses for these serious offences. There are, however, explanations. In January this year, a member of the public had to stop him from jumping off a bridge. This is a young man who it is hard to believe is still only 19.
“His mother, aunt and uncle are at the back of court. They have come along to show support for him. He has faced challenges in life that may have tested anybody. Somewhere along the line, the system may have failed here. This young man has had little or no guidance at the most important time in his life. There is reference to him, in essence, bringing himself up.
“He has been using his time in custody constructively. He has got a job in the laundry. He is attending the gym. He does want to work. Work would provide him with a structure on release that he has never had.
“He is fortunate that he has the support of his mum. He has not seen his father for a long time. He is frank about his use of ketamine. He has now stopped that.
“It was a nasty and frightening act. There was some planning involved. The court may think it is not as sophisticated as it might have been. This is a young man who needs an awful lot of help now, but it is something he will take. He has shown the right attitude. He has to put this sort of life behind him.
“He is qualified as a tiler. He could, on release, obtain work. There is hope here for him. Both offences here are dreadful. It is an immature young man who has done that, and it is a mature man, one has reason to believe and hope, that will emerge from this sentence, a better person.”
Skelhorn admitted aggravated burglary, possession of a bladed article in a public place, dangerous driving and breaching court bail, having failed to attend an earlier scheduled sentencing date in June. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a black and grey Mountain Equipment tracksuit, he was given four-and-a-half years in a young offenders’ institute.
Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: “That series of dangerous driving was, in my judgement, extremely serious, albeit it only lasted for a short period of time. There were a number of other vehicles on the road which you nearly collided with.
“Eventually, you crashed into somebody’s wall. You then fled the scene. It is more a matter of luck than design that there were not more serious consequences. This sort of driving could have killed you, someone in your car or an innocent member of the public.
“The more serious offence is the offence of aggravated burglary. The Underwoods were asleep in their bed when they heard shouting and banging. You were involved in what was clearly a pre-planned, targeted attack on their house.
“You hid your face and you had with you a knife. The other male was clearly filming what was happening. It was, as the author of the pre-sentence report says, linked to your lifestyle and involvement with drugs.
“This is an extremely serious matter. This has caused real concern and had a real effect on Mr Underwood and his husband. That was his family home. He had lived in that home for some 36 years. He has now moved from that property. He and his husband had built a life there.
“The court will not tolerate this kind of organised criminality taking place. This must have been an extremely frightening matter for both of those in that house.
“I do have regard to your age. I have regard to your lack of maturity. I also have regard to your background and to your difficult childhood. I accept that you do now show insight in relation to what you did, and you do show genuine remorse for the effect that this will have had on those householders. It may be that you were not fully thinking through the consequences of your behaviour.”
Skelhorn was also handed a seven-year restraining order. He was banned from driving for 32 months and must pass an extended retest before being allowed back on the roads.