Potters Bar man's fight with knifeman at his home in Coningsby Drive

1:55pm Wednesday 10th March 2010

By Sarah Cosgrove

A MAN who fought of a crazed knifeman who burst into his house has said his one thought was to protect his family.

Hayden Davies, 30, was “chilling out” around 11.30pm with his girlfriend, Patricia Briggs, 50 in Coningsby Drive, Potters Bar, when the terrifying attack happened.

He opened the door to the stranger but before the door was fully open the man kicked it and forced his way into the house waving a kitchen knife.

Mr Davies backed into the kitchen, past his terrified girlfriend who was sitting on the sofa.

“He said 'give me the money, give me the money. I know you got paid today John',” he said.

“He had the knife about an inch from my face. “He swore and said I'm not playing around I'll stab you.

“I was pretty scared. He must've been on drugs, he had piercing eyes with tiny pupils.”

Instinctively, Mr Davies grabbed the burglar's arm and put it behind his back, before repeating with the other arm and pushing the man back to the door.

“I wasn't thinking of myself, I saw my girlfriend behind his back and my 14-year-old stepdaughter Shannon was upstairs, with my girlfriend's mother.

He pushed the man out of the door while his dog Shady joined in, biting him on the hand.

But the man fought back, jabbing and slashing his knife through the gap of the door as Mr Davies tried to shut it, cutting his arm and his finger.

He added: “Shannon came to the top of the stairs and she was terrified, she was crying and saying I was covered in blood.”

But Shady, a Ridgeback and Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, also hurtled towards the burglar.

Scared of the dog, the man lost his footing and fell back, giving Mr Davies the opportunity to grab his hand and punch him in the face.

Ms Briggs said she had reacted in shock and froze as that day she had an operation on her arm after accidentally cutting a tendon with a Stanley knife.

“I was sleepy from medicine I'd taken that night. I don't know what I would've done if Hayden hadn't been there as he doesn't stay over every night. I'm so proud of him.”

Detective sergeant Paul Spencer said Mr Davies was very brave and is appealing for people who saw the attack, on Sunday February 28, the man, or the car to come forward.

The attacker is described as a white man, in his mid 20s, around 5ft 7in tall with short brown hair and very bushy eyebrows.