TWO brothers who smashed their way into the home of a young mother and her six-week-old baby before threatening the terrified woman with a knife and a bottle of ammonia were last night behind bars.

Durham Crown Court heard that the violent incident, in Shildon, County Durham, stemmed from a row over a £10 drug debt.

Daniel Calvert, 18, also known as Oliver, and 21-year-old sibling Sean Oliver were yesterday given sentences of seven and eight years, respectively, after admitting aggravated burglary.

The court was told they turned up at the house “armed” with a bottle of ammonia and a large knife, at about 6pm, on Saturday, March 12.

Jane Waugh, prosecuting, told the court the householder, who was at home with her baby, heard a loud banging noise from the front of the house.

She drew a curtain and saw Oliver running backwards and forwards, shouting: “You, it’s all your fault”, in her direction, and then opened a window to see Calvert also running about, kicking the door with the bottom of his foot.

Despite urging them to “pack it in”, telling them she had her young child in the house, the pair carried on kicking the door several more times until an entire panel was smashed.

Miss Waugh told the court the door handle came off and the pair ran into the house, still shouting: “It’s all your fault”.

They were looking for a man they all knew and Oliver stood over her with what appeared to look like a water bottle, and told her: “It’s ammonia and I’m going to blind you with it.”

He took the lid off and was shaking it in her direction, causing some of the liquid to splash onto her clothing.

Miss Waugh said the woman was shaking in fear for the safety of herself and her baby.

She pushed Oliver back, but Calvert told her not to “push her luck” as he had a knife.

They looked round the house for the named man, despite the woman telling them there was no-one there.

Miss Waugh said the woman eventually picked up a phone and rang the man in question.

Although he told her he would come up to her house, she told the brothers, instead, that he was heading for their home.

They ran out and as they left Calvert pulled out a 9in-bladed kitchen knife.

Police were called, and after initially being unwilling to say who was responsible, the woman eventually named them, and told the officers that a male friend of hers was owed £10 by the brothers, but she refused to say what the debt involved.

The pair were arrested, following a struggle in which a Taser had to be deployed, after they were found hiding upstairs at their home, in Shildon.

An empty ammonia bottle was found at the house, while the water bottle containing the chemical was recovered from the woman’s address.

Police also recovered several knives from the defendants’ home.

Both brothers, of East View Terrace, made no comment in interview.

The court heard that both were on licence following their early release from previous sentences at the time.

Joe Hedworth, for Calvert, and Dan Cordey, for Oliver, told the court that both apologised for their actions, and stated that despite the threats, no-one was actually injured.

Passing sentence, Recorder Simon Jackson QC told them: “In drink you smashed into the home of a woman with her six-week-old baby.

“You were looking for someone who was seeking to recover a drug debt from you.”