A GROUP of Newport teenagers who held three "terrified" people at knifepoint while they ransacked a house were locked up yesterday.

Lewis Bridge, 19, of Gaer Vale, Corey Walker, 18, of Buttermere Way, St Julians and Luke Williams, 18, of Maesglas Avenue, brandished a knife, meat cleaver and baseball bat during the raid at a house in St Marks Crescent on January 11.

They pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary in June and sentenced at Newport Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard the trio turned up at the front door of Daniel Mckenzie's father's house, who was away, after Mr Mckenzie invited some friends round to keep him company.

When he answered the door to the defendants, who he recognised, Bridge pointed a knife at him, and one said: "Where's the party at?"

Sarah Waters, prosecuting, said the gang forced their way inside and Walker picked up a meat cleaver from the kitchen, saying "you're getting robbed" to Mr Mckenzie's friends Andrew Mcmanus and Sam Chambers in the living room.

The court heard Walker demanded Mr Mcmanus to remove a gold chain from his neck and Williams appeared holding a baseball bat.

They helped themselves to items including an XBox 360 and Playstation 3, while Bridge guarded Mr Mckenzie in the hall before fleeing.

The three men were arrested and interviewed on January 14. Williams and Bridge initially denied any involvement.

Andrew Jones, for Bridge, called his client "a young man cast adrift with no qualifications whatsoever," expelled from school at age 15.

But he said the 19 year old had put his time in custody good use, enrolling on a maths and English course and gaining a qualification in cookery.

The court heard Williams had very few criminal convictions and never brandished a knife while Walker has a "great deal of charm and good in him" but doesn't think, just goes along with what is happening.

Sentencing Bridge and Walker to 42 months in a young offenders institute each and Williams to 27 months, Judge Rhys Rowlands called the attack a "significant piece of intimidation".

He added: "Those inside were clearly terrified by what you did."