A grieving widow returned from her husband’s funeral party to find a man prowling around her house.

Louisa Snowling found Thomas Burke in her bedroom in Sutton Dwellings, Upper Street.

She told Old Street Magistrates’ Court: “I had never seen him before. I just lost my nerve. I went back into the living room and slammed the door on him. I screamed: ‘There’s a man in my house.’”

When she collected her composure and went into the hallway, Mrs Snowling found her daughter, Sylvia, had detained him.

Burke, a 26-year-old labourer of no fixed address, was charged with entering a property with intent to commit a felony. When charged, he said: “I broke in but I did not commit any felony.”

He was remanded in custody.