A family was “terrorised” in their own home by a group of three men apparently high on cocaine in the early hours of the morning.

Paul David Routledge, Robert Jones and Josh Ward turned up uninvited at the property in Front Street, Wheatley Hill, at about 4am on Saturday July 24, 2021.

Durham Crown Court heard that the female householder, who was sleeping downstairs, heard banging at the front of the house.

She opened the door to the front room and put on a light to see two males, with another apparently outside.

Read more: County Durham burglar hit by car minutes after terrorising Peterlee woman

The intruders were standing between the fireplace and the table, one shouting: “Come on”, to the woman’s husband, who was upstairs with their two children.

Joe Hedworth, prosecuting, said the horrified woman, fearing for her family’s safety, told them to get out, adding that there were, “kids in the house”, but it had no effect.

The intruders began to ransack the living room, grabbing items off the wall, pushing over furniture, smashing a window and throwing an item in her direction.

As the woman firmly held a partition door closed, she shouted upstairs for someone to call for the police, while urging her husband not to come downstairs, fearing he could be assaulted.

Mr Hedworth said it suddenly went quiet, after all the crashing and banging, and the woman looked in to see the mess in the living room, including blood on the wall, a smashed mirror and window pane.

On looking out of the house she saw the wing mirror ripped off her car, parked at the front of the house, while there was also damage to the passenger side door.

A Citroen car parked in nearby Alexandra Terrace was also damaged, with a wing mirror ripped off and glass broken.

Read more: Burglar armed with screwdriver breaks into Peterlee home

Mr Hedworth said Ward, who was covered in blood, was located with his girlfriend in a field off a nearby farm track, at 4.50am.

He was taken to Peterlee Police Station where a small snap bag containing cocaine was found in his pocket.

Although he told the officers present: “I admit everything,” on arrest, he made no comment to police questions when formally interviewed.

Routledge was also soon detained and claimed to have been sleeping at the time of the incident, denying involvement when interviewed.

The court heard Jones was also arrested and made no comment in interview.

Routledge, 34, of South Parade, Thornley, 27-year-old Jones, of Johnson Estate, Wheatley Hill, and 23-year-old Ward, of Barnard Avenue, Ludworth, each admitted burglary with intent to cause damage and affray.

Both Routledge and Ward also admitted two counts of causing criminal damage, to the parked cars, but Jones only admitted one such charge.

The court heard that the woman who confronted the intruders felt, “terrorised”, and thought she and her family would be killed, as everything happening was out of her control.

Her husband has suffered mental health problems, including a breakdown, and, as with one of their children, has been afraid to go to sleep at night since the incident, which has cost the family financially as they have improved security at their home.

Martin Scarborough, for Routledge, said he is a third-strike burglar and so stands to receive the mandatory three-year sentence, less some discount for his guilty pleas.

Mr Scarborough conceded, on his client’s behalf: “It’s accepted this would have been a terrifying incident for that family.

“There is no reason why that house was targeted and no reason for them to behave as they did.”

Jane Waugh, for Jones, said her client subsequently committed an offence of aggravated burglary for which he received an extended prison sentence, with a 90-month custodial element, imposed at the court in November.

She said he has made “good use” of his time in custody, since then, working with the drug and alcohol services available to him.

Miss Waugh said if this case had been dealt with together with the aggravated burglary, for which he is now serving the long sentence, he would not have received a much longer jail term.

Recorder Tom Moran told Routledge and Jones: “This was clearly a joint enterprise to go to that house and terrorise the occupants.

"But, neither of you have admitted why you did this."

He said the case had just about all the aggravating factors possible for such an offence.

Recorder Moran said both Routledge and Jones have, “appalling criminal records”.

He imposed a 32-month sentence on Routledge and said given Jones is serving a jail term of seven-and-a-half years, he would limit his sentence to a further 14 months.

Read next:

               Hartlepool man admits burglary at farmhouse near Shotton Colliery

               Burglar disputes Christmas Eve date of break-in near Consett

               Burglar struck at houses in Horden when occupants were away

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But that will be consecutive to the 90-months, only starting on completion of that sentence.

Ward, who only put in his pleas at today’s (Friday March 10) hearing, will be sentenced after preparation of a Probation Service report.

He was bailed to return to court for his sentencing hearing, on Tuesday (March 14).