A BURGLAR held a knife to his victim’s throat and warned him he would stab him if he ‘grassed.’

Thomas Raymond and Scott Green burgled a house at Swallow Close, Worcester after befriending the man who was housesitting at the property for his brother.

When victim Benjamin Preece confronted the defendants about what they had done Green held a knife to his throat.

'Three strikes' burglar Raymond, aged 26, of Lowesmoor, Worcester, described as 'prolific' by a judge, was jailed for three years at Worcester Crown Court yesterday.

Green, 28, of Borrowdale Drive, Warndon, Worcester admits the same burglary on October 31 last year and making a threat to kill two days later against Mr Preece.

Green has yet to be sentenced. The defendants were kept apart because of tensions between them.

They stole items worth £1,089 including an Xbox One and an Apple iPad Air after dropping Mr Preece off at a city chemist.

Alun Williams, prosecuting, said the raid took place while Mr Preece was waiting to be picked up by Green.

When he returned to his brother’s house he noticed the hall window blind on the floor after it is believed the pair seized an earlier opportunity to unlock the window. Mr Preece noticed a distinctive Vape belonging to his brother in the door-well of Green’s car.

Later Mr Preece confronted Raymond at his mother’s address on Sunday, November 3 last year before Green arrived and held a kitchen knife with a six inch blade to his throat.

Mr Williams said: “Green has held the knife to Mr Preece’s neck, saying ‘if you try grassing on us I will stick this in your neck - that would be the quickest way to get rid of a grass’.”

In a victim personal statement Mr Preece said he felt like ‘a nervous wreck’ and feared reprisals.

He added: “I feel vulnerable and scared for my safety when I go out and have to keep looking over my shoulder.”

Raymond has 17 convictions for 21 offences including previous burglaries and an attempted burglary.

As a three strikes burglar judge Robert Juckes QC sentenced him to three years.