A MAN involved in a cowardly robbery on a jeweller, subjected to a terrifying ordeal in his home and left battered and bleeding, has been jailed for ten years.

John Hullock's 65-year-old victim was threatened that his toes would be cut off if he did not reveal where his keys were.

A pair of masked men had broken into his home at Nelson at night and he was later bound and gagged before £6000 worth of jewellery and also cash were stolen.

Finally, a note was penned and fixed to a neighbour's car to indicate that Keith Langfield had been left tied up.

One of those involved, John Hullock, 25, of Llanerch Road West, Rhos-on-Sea, was traced when his DNA was found on a torch left at the scene in March last year.

He had pleaded guilty to robbery.

Self employed Mr Langfield had had a stall at Burnley market on Wednesdays for a number of years. In the last two years he had employed an assistant.

Mr Philip Potter, prosecuting, said that on March 21st last year Mr Langfield returned home to Hallam Road with around £6,000 worth of stock and £1000 in cash. At around four o'clock in the morning he was woken by a bang and two men in balaclava hoods moving quickly towards him.

They were also wearing boilersuits and gloves and one appeared to be carrying a screwdriver.

He tried to fend one off and reached for a paper knife but was wrestled to the floor and punched to the head. He went on to suffer further punches.

Mr Langfield courageously played for time and when asked for certain information, said things which were incorrect. At one stage he was threatened with being stabbed and killed.

In an effort to play for more time he claimed some keys were with an assistant. One of the intruders then suggested he was lying and stated: "We watched you for the last twelve months and you work on your own".

There was a threat to burn his back and face with an iron. Then a twelve inch long pair of scissors were placed near his foot and the blades either side of his toes.

"He was told they were going to cut off his toes. He could feel the blades of the scissors applying pressure to his little toe and was scared they really were going to cut off his toe," said Mr Potter. "He told them where the keys were."

His wrists and legs had been tied and tape put over his mouth. He was left bleeding and battered, but managed to get himself downstairs and call police.

Hullock was arrested in Colwyn Bay on January 30th this year after his DNA was revealed on a torch found at the scene of the robbery. He was twenty three at the time of the offence.

Gareth Roberts, defending, said he knew that a considerable prison sentence would follow, but had not been the main perpetrator.

He had previously been hopelessly addicted to cocaine, spending up to £500 a week on the habit. He had run up £40,000 loans and £3,000 was owed to his drug supplier.

In order to wipe his drug debt clean he was told to carry out a job and get in a car with the other man.

Mr Roberts said: "He knew he would be involved in some kind of burglary, but did not know there would be any confrontation. He didn't expect any violence."

Judge Peter Openshaw QC described it as a severely aggravated offence.