Will Self had difficulty holding on to the woman

The three-day trial heard how Mr Self, 40, was on the fourth floor of their house in Stockwell and his wife was in another room when Chaves got in last December.

Miss Orr told the court she noticed that the front door was open and was told by her young son: "It was the lady in the red coat. She went upstairs to see daddy."

Miss Orr said she felt "absolutely petrified" and tried to call her husband on the phone but it was engaged.

Then she saw Chaves walking down the stairs and she grabbed her but was bitten on the hand during the struggle.

'Hanging on'

Mr Self heard his wife's screams and rushed down to see the two women struggling by the front gate.

"I grabbed hold of Ms Chaves and hung on to her while my wife was still shouting.

"She was trying to get away, trying to bite my hand."

Mr Self said he only just managed to hang on to Chaves, despite being 6ft 4ins and a "large, strong man".

Eventually a passer-by came to his aid and held Chaves over the front gate until the police arrived.

Judge Peter Groble remanded Chaves, a heroin addict of no fixed address, in custody for reports.

He warned her that she faced an almost inevitable prison sentence.

Chaves, who has 14 previous burglary convictions, had denied the charges claiming she had been playing with the couple's young son.