Prison for burglars who terrified Nuthall man so much he leapt from second storey window

John McNee was armed with a large knife when he and his co-defendant, Craig Morgan, donned gloves and balaclavas before breaking into an address on Canterbury Close, at 9pm on June 25.

Annabel Lenton, prosecuting, said they forced entry by smashing a back window and one of the defendants brandished a tool before telling their terrified victim: “Come here you b******.”

The occupant was so terrified he threw himself out of a second floor window and broke his wrist which needed a metal plate and screws inserting.

He managed to hide in a neighbour's property and saw Mcnee holding a large knife.

Both defendants were “spooked” when several neighbours came out to see what was happening and they were unable to start the engine of the high value car they came to take.

They made off with the occupant’s iphone and £500 in cash.

Cable ties were found in a white Mercedes with changed number plates which they had previously picked up to use as a getaway car.

Morgan was arrested on July 7 but Mcnee was able to commit a second offence when he called the occupant and tried to intimidate him into withdrawing evidence.

He pretended to be someone called Gary and made various veiled threats about ‘what my boys are willing to do’.

He referred to the occupant being on a hitlist and told his mum she should speak to her son and drop the charges.

He said: “If my boys have to sweat this is going to carry on.”

Both defendants were linked through CCTV and phone enquiries and both gave no comment interviews.

Nottingham Crown Court heard Morgan has 52 previous convictions for 73 offences and has served 13 years for robbery. Mcnee has 16 previous convictions for 36 offences including racially aggravated violence, possessing offensive weapons, and non-dwelling burglary.

Morgan, 53, of Lymn Avenue, Gedling, admitted burglary, while McNee, aged 45, of Tunstall Crescent, Nottingham, admitted burglary, witness intimidation, and burglary with intent to steal.

Fergus Malone, mitgating, said Morgan deserved some credit for his guilty plea.

He said: “He has been out of trouble for over 10 years and is now clean of heroin.

"He contracted septicemia and scabies for which he was hospitalised, and this has made his time in prison more difficult.”

Dominic Shelley, mitigating, said McNee also deserved some credit for his guilty pleas.

"He said McNee said he felt ‘absolutely disgusted with myself, these were crimes I should never have committed, I have let my family down’.

On June 2, Judge Nigel Godsmark KC jailed Morgan for five years and handed McNee nine years.