Jacob Bell jailed for bizarre Windale break-in before alleged murder
A court has heard of a man's bizarre break-in where he hugged his victim and stole a knife “shortly before” an alleged murder that he’s set to face trial for next year.
A court has heard a bizarre break-in, where a man hugged a woman before he left with a knife he grabbed from the kitchen, had happened “shortly before” an alleged murder.
A woman was outside her Windale unit on the morning of March 29 last year having a cigarette when, the court heard, Jacob Bell walked past yelling and acting strangely.
When the now 23-year-old approached her, the court heard she raced inside, locked the door and called triple-zero before Bell started to bang and knock loudly, yelling for the woman to let him in.
He ended up forcing a hole through her security door and knocked the wooden door off the hinge before he stormed in and asked for a smoke.
The court heard he went into the kitchen and grabbed a 20cm knife and placed it in his waistband.
While he said he wasn’t going to hurt the woman, he bizarrely bear hugged her twice, one lasting for 10 seconds, before snatching the cigarettes and fleeing.
It was later that day, at about 4:30pm, Bell was arrested as police raided a home on Kankool Way where a knife was found with both his DNA and the victim’s.
He pleaded guilty to aggravated break and enter to commit a serious indictable offence - larceny, and a charge of intimidation.
In Newcastle District Court on Friday, Judge Roy Ellis noted Bell was facing a murder trial in the NSW Supreme Court in May next year, with him stating that alleged killing had been committed shortly before his random break-in.
Bell is also accused of the fatal stabbing of 40-year-old Eddy Lemalama in the chest at the front door of his Lake Macquarie home on Good Friday.
He has pleaded not guilty to murder and will defend that charge at trial.
Mr Ellis noted Bell had a lengthy criminal history, littered with violence and dishonesty, and committed the offences while on conditional liberty but said he had suffered from a history of drug and alcohol abuse.
He was sentenced to two years and seven months jail with a non-parole period of one year and five months.
While that will expire in about three weeks, Bell will remain behind bars as he awaits his murder trial.
Originally published as Jacob Bell jailed for bizarre Windale break-in before alleged murder
