AN armed man wearing tights over his head smashed his way into his victim’s home and hit him over the head with a metal bar after stealing his safe.

Stefan Morgan, 25, of Station Road, Abertysswg, Caerphilly, was jailed for eight years for the terrifying aggravated burglary.

Leah Pollard, prosecuting, said the defendant and householder Jordan Crewe knew each other and the former had ‘joked’ he would one day come for his safe.

She told Cardiff Crown Court: “At around 3am on April 5, 2019, the victim and his partner were asleep at their maisonette flat when they heard a loud knock at their front door.

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“Mr Crewe opened the door and saw a man in black clothing with tights over his head in an attempt to conceal himself.

“He knew it was this defendant because he recognised his voice and the tattoo of a stag he had on his hand.

“The complainant had known him for about 18 months and he had sometimes visited him and told him to watch out for his safe because he would one day be coming for it.

“Mr Crewe used to laugh this off.”

Miss Pollard said the complainant managed to shut the door before Morgan began to pound it with what appeared to be a dumbbell bar.

She told Judge Michael Fitton QC: “The defendant tried to smash his way through with the iron bar and this continued for about 15 minutes.

“The complainant’s girlfriend locked herself in the bathroom and called 999.

“Morgan then smashed his way in through the kitchen window. His DNA was obtained from blood on broken glass.

“Mr Crewe grabbed a baseball bat and tried to strike him with it. The defendant threated to stab him.

“The complainant shouted for help and Morgan ran away with the safe which contained £160 in cash and a gold necklace given to him by his late grandmother which was worth £300.

“Mr Crewe chased him down the street and the defendant was also now also armed with a Swiss Army knife.

“Morgan struck him with the pole and he felt pain to his head and his vision went black for a few seconds.”

Mr Crewe was taken to A&E at Merthyr Tydfil’s Price Charles Hospital where he needed stitches for a 5cm wound his forehead and treatment for glass in his feet.

The court was told he has made a good recovery from his injuries.

Morgan pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and unlawful wounding in Pontlottyn.

The court heard he had 11 previous convictions for 20 offences but none as serious as these latest ones.

Andrew Kendall, mitigating, said his client had admitted the offences and that the defendant had suffered a “difficult upbringing”.

Judge Fitton told Morgan: “You caused significant physical and psychological harm to your victim.

“This was a very nasty offence which could have been even worse.

“You must have known the risks of what you were doing.”

The defendant was also made the subject of a 10-year restraining order and must pay a victim surcharge.