BURGLARS wearing balaclavas tied up two men and threatened to shoot one of them after breaking into their house at night, a court has heard.

Ian Cumming and Yuk Wan were at their home in Cromer Road, Ipswich on August 9 when they were confronted by the burglars who tied their hands behind their backs with cable ties, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The men were interrogated about who else was in the house and one of the burglars put his hand over the mouth of one of the men and told him to shut up or he would shoot him, said Robert Sadd, prosecuting.

The burglars left the house with �150 and a mobile phone and Mr Cumming was able to free himself from the cable ties and then release Mr Wan.

Before the court was Neil Ruffles, 56, of Gipping Road, Great Blakenham, who admitted burglary. Jailing him for four years Judge Rupert Overbury said: “Anyone who breaks into someone else’s home and violates their security can only expect a prison sentence from the courts.”

“It must have been a terrifying experience with men in balaclavas coming in and tying them up and going through their property.

“That memory will last a lot longer that any prison sentence I can pass on you.”

Mr Sadd told the court that no-one else had been arrested for the burglary and Ruffles, pictured, had been identified by scientific evidence.

Neil Saunders, for Ruffles, said he had kept out of trouble for the last 14 years and bitterly regretted getting involved in the burglary.

“He apologises to the people involved,” said Mr Saunders.