AN armed yob who was in a gang which kicked in a mum's front door during a night time attack has been jailed for almost five and a half years

Adam Howard had a pistol in his waistband as he and two mates, one armed with a knife, terrified the woman whose son he claimed owed him money.

The 24-year-old thug also left the girlfriend of his alleged debtor in fear when he and his accomplices also went to her house over the disputed £110.

And when their target got home to find the police there he received a call in which Howard said he warned him he would go to his mum's house.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the incidents took place on the night of Wednesday, July 13.

She said the mum, who was home alone with her younger son who is nine, had gone to bed at about 10pm when she heard the doorbell ring three times.

As she had a CCTV system she looked at it and saw three hooded youths at the door, one brandishing a knife and Howard with the gun tucked into his trousers.

The men then started shouting and kicking at the house in Woodhall Park, Swindon, as if trying to get in, and at one point a foot came through the door.

As the woman dialled 999 she saw the men walk off, only to return before fleeing when they appeared to spot the camera.

On the same evening the same group of men went to a block of flats in Penhill and knocked on the door of the lad's girlfriend.

She also called the police after seeing them through the spy hole in her door and hearing them shouting and kicking at the door.

When police were at the mum's address her son came home and received a call from Howard during which he said 'I told you we would go to your mum's'.

He added that the £110 debt had risen to £120 as he had to pay someone to drive him to Penhill.

Miss Hingston read a victim personal statement from the mum where she spoke of her fear of being at the house alone, as her husband often worked abroad.

As two of the people involved could not be identified she feared she was being watched by them and found it hard to live in the same house.

Her husband told how they had spent thousands on a new front door and other security measures following the incident and he had missed business trips.

He wrote 'This is life changing for us as a whole family, they have no idea what they have done to us. At the end of the day we are the innocent victims.'

Howard, of Rudman Park, Chippenham, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary. The court was told he was on a suspended sentence at the time for domestic violence.

Mike Pulsford, defending, said although a foot went into the house in the first incident no one was physically harmed or directly threatened.

He said he was sorry for what he had done and was trying to change his ways, and had a girlfriend who is heavily pregnant.

Jailing him Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "You had taken with you an imitation pistol: another of your group had a knife, all three of you were wearing hoods.

"Some of what you did was caught on CCTV footage at that building. The front door was kicked in."

He imposed a five year, four month jail term for the aggravated burglary with a further six weeks for the suspended sentence Howard was already on.