TWO men met “trouble that came to their door” with excessive force, a court heard.

Dean Watts and Shane Youll were sleeping off a drink and drugs binge when they received an unexpected visit from a man with whom they had been socialising the previous night.

Durham Crown Court was told the ‘visitor’ woke at 4am at his nearby home and believed money was missing from his wallet.

Joe Culley, prosecuting, said that while he had repaid two loans and paid for drink and drugs for use by him and the defendants,, he expected to have some money remaining from £200 withdrawn from a cash machine earlier.

Mr Culley said he went back to Watts’ home, in South Moor, Stanley, where he had been hours earlier.

He confronted the defendants about the missing money, but he was thrown onto his back and repeatedly punched to the face by Watts, while Youll produced a knife.

Mr Culley said it was pressed to the victim’s ribs by Youll, who was told by Watts: “Don’t stab him,” worried police would come.

The attack continued with the victim being dragged around, suffering a black eye, cuts, bruising and grazes, leaving him fearful for what might eventually happen.

He recalled having the knife pressed to his throat at one stage, before he was able to flee from the house.

Both assailants were arrested at Watts’ home early the following day and a knife believed to have been brandished during the incident was recovered by police.

Mr Culley said there was evidence of blood staining round the property, some matched with the victim.

Watts, 28, of Poplar Street, South Moor, and Youll, 32, of The Fells, Plawsworth, admitted a charge of affray arising from the incident on July 27, last year.

Rod Hunt, for Watts, said he recalled the incident as more of a “scuffle” after the other man returned during the night bearing a grudge over his missing money.

Richard Herrmann, for Youll, said “trouble came to their door”, and he and Watts felt they had to get him out of the house.

Judge Jonathan Carroll imposed 66-week prison sentences on both telling them it was no “momentary piece of violence” and that they took it, “too far”.

Both were made subject of five-year restraining orders prohibiting them from contacting the victim.