Thugs kicked down Middlesbrough man's door before attacking him

Joe Murphy and Alex Wild targeted the man while Murphy tried to recover stolen jewellery.

The pair had already visited the victim’s home looking for someone else before returning to kick down the door, while Murphy was wearing a wrestler’s mask, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Shada Mellor said the pair left empty-handed five minutes after forcing their way into the Middlesbrough home.

“They were demanding to know where the stuff was,” Miss Mellor said, before the victim tripped and Murphy punched him.

The court heard that Murphy led the failed attempt to recover the jewellery from the wrong address and attacked the victim.

Joe Murphy

Miss Mellor said CCTV showed the pair waiting outside the victim’s home for several minutes for messages on their phones before kicking in the door.

Murphy, of Melton Walk, Hemlington, and Wild, of Upsall Hall Gardens, Nunthorpe, both admitted attempted robbery on January 25.

Murphy’s barrister, Albany Kidd, said the 28-year-old was trying to recover two gold chains he claimed had been stolen from his brother.

Ms Kidd accepted the address was unrelated to the incident and said the information was wrong.

Alex Wild

Wild’s lawyer, Gary Wood, said the 22-year-old played a lesser role and had shown remorse for the victim.

He said drugs and alcohol played a major part in Wild’s actions.

Judge Stephen Ashurst jailed Murphy for 45 months and Wild for three years.

Addressing Murphy, he said: "This was clearly your idea.

"You took the lead. You have been described as being very aggressive to the victim.

"You, Alex Wild, went along to help and played a part."

Both defendants were on court orders at the time of the attempted robbery, the court heard.

Alex Wild had previously received a six-month suspended sentence for dangerous driving after a high-speed police chase in a stolen car.