Three thugs who subjected a man to an "horrendous attack" in his own Peterlee home are facing lengthy spells behind bars.
The victim returned home in November 2017 to find furniture had been moved and when he checked his back door, it was ajar.
When he opened it, he recognised the trio of Richard Dickson, Melissa McGarry and Shaun Walton.
They chased him into the house and upstairs where they cornered him in a bedroom and beat him with a wooden curtain pole before throwing him down the stairs.
He was also punched repeatedly and suffered a catalogue of injuries including a broken arm, hand, ribs, fractured foot and bruising to his arm and head.
After managing to escape, the victim saw the defendants drive away in a Ford Focus. The attack left the victim with PTSD and he continues to suffer some physical injuries as well.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, he said he has lived in “absolute fear” of further assaults or repercussions while he is also unable to relax and sleep.
The trio were all sentenced for GBH at Durham Crown Court on Friday.
Walton, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of GBH and witness intimidation while Dickson, 31 and McGarry, 27, were found guilty of GBH after a trial. Walton, of Laybourne Terrace, Stockton, was sentenced to four years and one month in prison.
Dickson, of Burnett Crescent, Kelloe, was sentenced to five years behind bars while McGarry, of the same address, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.
Detective Constable, John Forster, who led the investigation, said: “This was a horrendous attack on a man in his own home and which has had a lasting impact on him.
“I am pleased the judge saw fit to impose lengthy prison sentences to reflect the severity of the crimes, especially as Dickson and McGarry refused to admit the their parts in it by pleading not guilty.
“I hope the sentences give the victim some peace of mind so he can go on to rebuild his life.”
