IPSWICH: Two violent burglars were today starting indeterminate jail terms after viciously attacking and torturing a man when they broke into his home.

Ricky Mutton and Darren Hilling left Colin Woods tied up and bleeding profusely, with a potato stuffed in his mouth, after one of the pair shouted “go on, finish him off” when the other stabbed the 56-year-old.

Even after stealing Mr Woods’ bank card, the men returned to his flat in Bittern Close, Ipswich, to continue his ordeal.

Sentencing Mutton, 24, and Hilling, 21, at Ipswich Crown Court, Recorder Michael Pooles QC said: “It is through no contribution of these defendants that this man survived.

“These are dangerous men. There is a significant risk of serious harm from future offences likely to be committed by both these men, and the public is at risk of that.

“There is very little that can be said in favour of these young men. They have appalling records. They have caused fear to members of the community in the past.”

Recorder Pooles called the attack on Mr Woods “vicious and unprovoked” and a “sequence of torture” before describing it as “the nightmare of any householder”.

Earlier, prosecutor Joanne Eley said Hilling, of Wellington Street, Ipswich, and Mutton, of Montgomery Road, Ipswich, broke into Mr Woods’ ground-floor flat at around 1.40pm on March 25 last year.

The pair, who wore scarves as masks and hoodies, burst into Mr Woods’ bedroom demanding money.

Mr Woods was hit over the head with a bottle of champagne and tipped out of bed.

Mutton and Hilling ransacked the flat, returning to the bedroom with Mr Woods’ Lloyds TSB debit card and demanding the PIN number.

A knife with a 5-6inch blade was used to stab him, puncturing a kidney and damaging his ribs. He was also stabbed in the stomach.

Mr Woods was then dragged to the bathroom and dumped in the base unit of the shower where he had shampoo and soaps poured over his head.

By then, his hands and feet had been tied with strips of towel, and a potato was pushed into his mouth.

Before Mutton and Hilling, left they shouted homophobic abuse and Mr Woods was kicked in the testicles.

They returned after around 15 minutes because they could not get the PIN number to work.

Mr Woods was re-tied with twine and fastened to a door handle and bathroom radiator.

After the pair left, Mr Woods – despite bleeding heavily – managed to untie himself and get to a neighbour’s flat to raise the alarm. He spent six days in hospital as a result of his wounds.

Mutton and Hilling admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

They must serve a minimum of four years in prison before they can apply for parole.

When they are released from prison they must spend their lifetimes on licence.

n What can be done to rehabilitate these thugs? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or alternatively you can send an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk