Knifeman thrust blade at boy, 5, during terrifying raid on home
An armed burglar thrust a knife towards a five-year-old and attacked the child's parents during a terrifying house raid a week before Christmas.
Grant Nanson was first spotted inside the Sunderland family home by a teenage son and his little brother, who called for help from their father.
Newcastle Crown Court heard knifeman Nanson ordered that the dad "give me the money" and then thrust the blade towards the little boy.
When the mum, a nurse who had been sleeping upstairs, heard the commotion and went downstairs, Nanson violently attacked her and her husband.
Before he left the house, with an iPhone he had stolen, Nanson warned he had a gun and would be back to kill the family.
Nanson, 28, of Thornhill Park, Sunderland, who has a criminal record, admitted aggravated burglary has been jailed for eight years.
MrRecorderMarkMcKone told him: "You thrust the knife towardsthatfive-year-oldboy."
The judge added: "I am sure you can appreciate the terror which must have been caused to those two parents to see their two sons in danger like this.
"It is especially serious you used violence to parents in front of a five-year-old and thrust the knife towards the five-year-old."
Prosecutor Jane Foley told the court the mum, dad and two sons had all been at home in the early evening on December 18 last year.
MissFoleysaidtheteenson and his little brother had been heading toward the kitchen when they saw "a male they didn't recognise, standing in the kitchen holding a knife, a silver kitchen knife".
The court heard the teen shouted for his father, who came into the room and was told by the raider "give me the money".
Miss Foley said the dad told the stranger 'I will give you whatyouwant,justcalmdown' but added: "The defendant begantothrusttheknifetowards the young child."
The court heard the teenager managed to get his little brother out of the room and themum,whohadbeenasleep upstairs in preparation for a night-shift, went down to see what was going on.
Miss Foley added: "She made her way to the living room and stood between her husbandandthedefendant.As she did, the defendant raised the knife above his head."
The court heard the husband, who believed himself or his wife were about to be stabbed, grabbed Nanson's wrist and got hold of the knife.
Nanson then punched him in the face.
Miss Foley added: "The defendant grabbed the wife by the collar of her clothing and began to drag her towards the kitchen, while punching her
to the head and face with his right hand. Her husband tried to intervene by grabbing hold of her."
The court heard Nanson then hit the husband again.
Miss Foley added: "By the time he got to his feet the defendant had dragged his wife out of the house and into the rear yard."
Nanson tried to push the husband to the ground again before climbing onto some wheelie bins, where he stood and shouted "I've got a gun, I'm going to kill you'.
Glenn Gatland, defending, said Nanson is "full of remorse for what he has done" and is "genuinely sorry".