A burglar was sent to the Intensive Care Unit by a 55 year old who claims he was forced into "protecting his family and himself" against the man he discovered rifling through a dresser in his bedroom.

Andrew Warren Sr. said he was in bed with his wife, Rose, watching TV yesterday when the figure of a man appeared out of nowhere at around 1 a.m.

Mr. Warren said he feared for his family and himself, but confronted the intruder. A fight ensued that eventually left the burglar, a 38-year-old Devonshire man, in ICU at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

He remained in stable condition last night.

Still shaken from his early morning attack, the restaurant manager at Ocean View Golf Course said he saw his life flash before him.

He said: "I was laying in bed and I got up to use the bathroom and had a bit of a cramp in my leg. I came back in bed and continued to watch TV.

"I wanted to smoke a cigarette then decided 'no, I have to make 7 a.m.' At that, a man popped-up. I don't know whether he was here before or he saw me get up, I don't know.

"He must have crawled in after I was in bed. I laid there watching him because I thought it was my son looking for a cigarette.

"But after a few minutes he didn't speak and I thought, 'It's a burglar'. I got up to block the doorway and said: 'What the f*** are you doing in my house?'

"Then he attacked me. There was a scuffle and we fell down the stairs. He dragged me from there (the kitchen), to there (the living room), to outside.

"That's when I figured I have had enough and I had to protect myself. I thought it was my time to die. He was in control then I thought it was the end of my time. I had to defend myself.

"Family came first. I was protecting my family and myself. I didn't have anything. We don't go to sleep with weapons in this neighbourhood.

"Why couldn't he be satisfied with stealing the stereo or the TV (downstairs)? We wouldn't have known. What possessed him to come up the stairs? I wish I knew what he thought. It's unfortunate what happened to him."

Asked if he heard his wife screaming or anyone get up he said: "I don't know, I was just in a zone."

According to the Police report, officers arrived around 1.40 a.m. at the Cherry Hill Park, Paget home where they found Mr. Warren restraining the burglar.

Both men were then taken to KEMH by ambulance. Mr. Warren received five stitches above his left eye and the 38-year-old was placed on ICU.

According to Police, they found nothing missing from the house however Mr. Warren's sister-in-law, Florence Warren, later discovered her purse missing from her bedroom.

Mrs. Warren, who lives in the west side of the duplex said she believes the same man opened her screen window and stole her bag.

She added: "I was dressed to go to work and I always put it next to the bed. I said, 'I don't have my bag'. I had to cancel my credit cards and reported it stolen."

Police media spokesperson Dwayne Caines said the incident was under investigation but pointed out that the law protected homeowners' rights to defend themselves.

"It's definitely being investigated. Clearly there's a life in Intensive Care so the investigation continues," he said, "If you look at the law, (in short it says) one can defend themselves in their private property using reasonable force against force used against them."

What is most shocking to Mr. Warren however, is that something like this even happened in his neighbourhood which he described as a place where neighbours look out for neighbours.

"Up until today I never locked my doors and windows; there's always activity. But this didn't phase me. For that to happen I don't think it will change much of anything," he added.

"Unless we get to grips with drugs we are always going to have this problem. I am in pain still and a little shocked, but that will go with time.

"I think (my family was) more upset then I was. They are here most of the night. I think (my wife) feels relatively safe except with this incident.

"We don't usually lock up here like Fort Knox. He came in through the window by the refrigerator. As you grow older you get wiser and this incident I felt fearful. I had to protect me and mine."