Two men visiting a home in St Albans ended up being threatened with a carving knife, and shot at with a BB gun when three masked men later burst through the door, a court has heard.

Judge John Plumstead described the affray as an “armed burglary” at St Albans Crown Court last Monday (12), when he sentenced two men.

The court heard that three masked men went to the property in Richard Stagg Close at about 8pm on January 12 last year.

However the man who lives there was out at the time, and the trio trashed his home and demanded money from the two men who were visiting.

Last Monday Aaron Heeley, 24, of Oaklands Lane in St Albans, and Sidney Winson, 29, of Watling Street, were sentenced for their role after they admitted affray.

Prosecutor Joseph Templeton said the two defendants were with another man - who has not yet been caught - when they forced their way into the home last year.

The third man was armed with a carving knife and the other two picked up a hammer and a baseball bat as they carried out a search, trashing the place.

The victims were told to “get into the f****** corner” and were ordered to hand over their phones and wallets.

A BB gun was fired at the head of one man, causing a lump.

The other was hit on the leg three times with a baseball bat and had the remainder of the ball bearing shots fired at him.

Mr Templeton said the man who lived at the address had, in the past, dealt in drugs.

Richard Burrington, defending Heeley, said he was in full time work and had been ‘cajoled’ into getting involved with what was an ongoing dispute.

For Winson, Andel Singh said he had spent over eight months in custody.

Judge John Plumstead labelled the incident as an “armed burglary,” and passed an 18-month sentence on Winson which means he will be released from prison shortly.

He gave Heeley a 15-month sentence suspended for 18 months.