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Masked raiders burst into a terrified couple’s home twice in the space of a few days.

Jordan Caldow, Robert Smith and Jake Murray threatened the man and woman on each occasion as they searched for valuables to nick. A court heard the thugs also demanded money and two of them assaulted the man on the first raid.

The male victim fell unconscious after Smith, 28, and 29-year-old Caldow pushed him in the passageway and kicked him on the floor. 

Smith thumped him in the face with a metal bar in the property in Ashington, Northumberland.

With the man out for the count, Murray, 24, went through drawers, tried to grab the woman’s phone and punched her in the face until she let go of it.

The court heard she was terrified and didn’t know if her partner had been killed.

During the attack, a phone, tablet and jewellery were stolen and the home was left in disarray, including the sofa and other items being tipped over, reports Chronicle Live.

The man was left with an injury to his eye and had to attend hospital while the woman suffered bruising and reddening to his face.

The three intruders left and police were called but then a couple of days later Smith and Murray returned, along with another man, breaking in at 3.45am while the victims were in bed.

They heard people downstairs and then the sound of them coming upstairs, before they burst into their bedroom.

They again demanded money and started going through drawers and threatened to kidnap their dog. They tried to steal a TV and Smith made threats to come back if they called police. The male victim later noticed his Nike trainers were missing and when Murray was arrested, he was wearing them.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said: “It made me feel afraid for my safety and I don’t want to leave my house. I feel they are going to keep coming back until they are caught and cause a serious injury. I no longer want to live in my address, which I love.”

Her partner added: “I’m very scared for me and my girlfriend. I don’t want to leave the house or stay in. I’ve never felt like this before.”

Smith, from Ashington, who has 23 previous convictions, including serious violence, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the man, theft and burglary. He was jailed for 80 months.

Caldow, also from Ashington, who has 21 previous convictions, including GBH with intent when he deliberately drove into someone, admitted assaulting the man and theft and was jailed for 46 months.

Murray, of no fixed address, who has four previous convictions, admitted assaulting the woman, theft and burglary and was locked up for 69 months.

Penny Hall, for Smith, said it was “clearly to do with drugs”, said he was remorseful and has mental health issues.

The court heard Caldow is “deeply remorseful for the shame he has brought on his family again”, while Murray’s barrister said it was “very much a one-off incident”

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