A MAN who burgled houses in Newport was part of a three-man gang who broke into a woman’s house wearing Hallowe’en masks, tied her up and threatened her with a knife and baseball bat, a court heard.

Half-brothers Daniel Hamblin, 23, and Fydel Powell, 20, will be sentenced this morning after admitting their roles in numerous burglaries in Newport and Cardiff.

Prosecutor Andrew Morse told the court in January last year, occupiers of a house in Afon Mead, Rogerstone, woke to find a Nintendo Wii, two laptops, two mobile phones, a Blackberry and car keys for an Audi TT and Nissan Primera missing.

Mobile phone records showed Hamblin travelled from his home to Rogerstone and back at the time of the break-in.

In April, 2010, a house in Taliesin Court, Rogerstone, home to an 84-year-old woman and her son, was targeted overnight and the thieves stole cash, bank cards, aBMWand a Mercedes.

Mr Morse said Powell, of no fixed address, was also involved in a break-in in Llandaff, Cardiff, where three men, two in Hallowe’en masks and one with a scarf covering his face, forced their way in, The victim had her hands and feet tied and was threatened with a knife and baseball bat.

In a separate incident, on May 10, a car Powell was a passenger in was pulled over by police and 27.47 grammes of cannabis were found in.

The court heard about other burglaries in Cardiff in May 2010 where cars, laptops, iPods, satellite navigation systems and a £5,000 Rolex watch were taken.

Defending Hamblin, Huw Evans said his client had a drugs dependancy, which led him to bad company and the need for money, which led to these offences.

Michael Hammett, for Powell, said he has continually tried to leaving offending behind him, even moving from the West Midlands to South Wales to escape a gang culture.

Powell admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply, aggravated burglary, three counts of burglary and theft. Hamblin of Rolls Street, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to five counts of burglary and one of theft. Judge David Morris adjourned sentencing yesterday to today to consider the facts of the case.