TWO balaclava raiders who threatened to shoot a homeowner with a rifle and rape his girlfriend during a terrifying ordeal were jailed for 24 years.

Grant Jones and Jordan Jones thought they were targeting a drug dealer in Pontypool as they went in search of a cannabis fix.

But the “hare-brained” pair went to the wrong address in what prosecutor Nuhu Gobir called a “case of mistaken identity”.

They barged their way into their victims’ home before Grant Jones held a large fishing knife to the man’s throat and Jordan Jones produced a long-barrelled air rifle with a scope.

Mr Gobir said: “Jordan Jones approached the man and pressed the end of the gun against his left temple.

“Grant Jones repeatedly said, ‘Where’s the weed? Where’s the weed?’”

His partner asleep on the couch awoke to find the masked men in her lounge with the horror unfolding as the couple’s children slept upstairs.

Mr Gobir described how the boyfriend fought back: “He grabbed the end of the barrel of the rifle. At this point, Grant Jones held the knife closer to his neck and he let go of the gun.”

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The bungling pair began to realise they were in the wrong house but not before they had subjected their victims to 15 minutes of sheer terror.

As they left, Mr Gobir said, they issued a chilling threat to the couple who were told: “We know where you live. If you call the police, we are going to shoot you and rape your missus.”

He added: “It was clear this was a case of mistaken identity.”

Grant Jones, aged 26, of Brynwern, Pontypool, and Jordan Jones, aged 23, of Chepstow Road, Newport, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary.

The offence was committed on June 28, 2018.

Part of the man’s victim impact statement was read to the court in which he revealed he had been “mentally traumatised” by what had happened.

He added: “I still think why was it that I was attacked and picked on?”

Mr Gobir said Grant Jones had 25 previous convictions for 42 offences, including robbery and possessing drugs with intent to supply and served prison sentences in the past.

Jordan Jones had 16 previous convictions for 32 offences including burglary and harassment and had also experienced custody.

Ieuan Bennett, mitigating for Grant Jones, said: “He has a very difficult family background and lost his father when he was a young child.”

His barrister told the court his client had gone “off the rails” as a teenager and started taking drugs after dropping out of school.

Describing the raid as a “shambles”, Mr Bennett added: “It must have been a terrifying incident for the family.”

Gareth Williams, for Jordan Jones, said: “He is mortified by what he did. He wants to apologise to this poor family.

“He has a long-term drug problem. It was a motivating factor in this offence.”

Judge Jeremy Jenkins praised the man’s bravery in standing up the pair, commending him for “acting with some considerable courage”.

He told them: “This was a hare-brained scheme. You took a gun and a fearsome fishing knife into a family home and you threatened them with the weapons and threatened the female with rape.”

Classing them as dangerous offenders, the judge passed an extended sentence for the public protection.

He jailed them each for 12 years which was made up of a nine-year custody term with an extended licence period of three years.

It means that both will have to serve at least six years in prison before they are eligible for parole.