TWO men who were part of a hooded gang that burst into the flat armed with a machete have been locked up for a total of more than 11 years.

Jane Hunt

TWO men who were part of a hooded gang that burst into the flat of a Haverhill man armed with a machete have been locked up for a total of more than 11 years.

Matthew Gross was in the lounge of his flat in Cobblers Court with a friend and his girlfriend was having a bath when five men dressed in black, with black scarves round their heads, entered the premises, Ipswich Crown Court heard. One of the men was armed with a machete with an 18in blade and Mr Gross was asked: “Where is your stuff. Where is your money,” said Kate Stephenson, prosecuting.

The man with the machete went to pick up a purse belonging to Mr Gross's partner and when Mr Gross made a move to stop him he was punched in the face and hit on the back of the knee with the handle of the machete, causing a graze to his leg.

Hearing the disturbance, Mr Gross's partner opened the bathroom door and Mr Gross unsuccessfully tried to throw a phone to her so she could call the police. The man armed with the machete moved towards the woman and she locked herself in the bathroom, said Miss Stephenson.

The group of men left the flat with a lap-top computer, a purse and a mobile phone. Before the court were Aron Chalk, 20, of Kingfisher Avenue, Ipswich, and Jamie Dale, 18, of no fixed address, who both admitted robbery on November 11 last year.

Miss Stephenson said Chalk had admitted the robbery on the basis that he was not the person armed with the machete. Chalk was sentenced to six years and eight months in a young offenders' institution and Dale was sentenced to four years and eight months.

Sentencing, Judge John Devaux said the case had a background relating to the use of illegal drugs. The intruders had entered the flat uninvited and unannounced, wearing disguises.

Charles Myatt, for Chalk, said his client realised he was going to get a lengthy sentence and was keen to do an education programme in prison.

Joanne Eley, for Dale, said he had gone to the flat with some men from Cambridge and understood they were going to get money for drugs.

At the time he had been “off his face” on drugs and had only realised that one of the men was armed with a machete at the door to the flat.