Armed thugs attacked a house with an axe and crossbow while a pregnant woman was inside. The shocked occupants found themselves under attack in the early hours as Callum Duncan smashed through the front door with an axe and Callum Green fired a crossbow at and into the property in Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle.

It was on November 22 last year around 2am that Green and Duncan went the home where two women, one of them pregnant, were present with their partners. After going back and forth from the house to a car, Duncan damaged the front door and windows with an axe.

Newcastle Crown Court heard one of the women was terrified to see the axe coming through the door although he was unable to get through a second door as those inside sought sanctuary by hiding in a bathroom.

One of the women then saw Green had a crossbow, which he shot towards the house, with the bolt getting stuck in a window. Emily Sanderson, prosecuting, said: “He then fired the crossbow through the broken front door and it landed inside but luckily didn’t make contact with anyone. Duncan was shouting ‘shoot it again, shoot it again’.”

They then threatened to put a car through the house before they made off.

In a victim impact statement, the woman who lives there said: “The fact they came to my home, it’s meant to be a safe place, a safe haven. I’m meant to feel safe in it. Well, not anymore.

“It doesn’t feel like my home. It feels like my privacy has been invaded.” She added that she has lived there for 19 years and added about the attack: “I don’t understand why.”

In relation to that offence, Duncan. 19, of Fawdon Lane, Fawdon, Newcastle, admitted affray, criminal damage and possessing an axe, while Green, 21, of Naworth Drive, West Denton, admitted affray and possessing the crossbow.

Judge Gavin Doig said: “You were both in possession of weapons. Mr Duncan, you had an axe and you used it to smash the front door and windows.

“(The woman) saw an axe coming through the door. One can only imagine the terror she would have felt.

“Mr Green, you had a crossbow and you thought it was a good idea to fire that towards the door and it stuck in the window. You pulled it out and you then fired it through the broken front door.

“It’s your great good fortune it didn’t make contact with anyone and cause injuries, or you would be going to prison for years.”

Penny Hall, representing Green, said: “His mother’s car had been damaged and he wanted to speak to the people he thought were responsible. He acted in a way which was totally inappropriate.

“He had lost his grandfather and he had started using drugs as a coping mechanism. While under the influence of drugs he acted as he did.

“There were some shouts and threats from the males within. He accepts he should not have done what he did. Fortunately no one was injured as a result of it.” Miss Hall added that Green is working as a bricklayer.

Mairi Clancy, for Duncan, said he has been remanded in custody for nine months having never previously been in custody.

In a separate offence, on June 28 last year at 9.45pm, police were called to a pub, in Cramlington, after reports two groups of men were fighting. CCTV showed Jamie Stewart started the violence repeatedly punching a man, who responded by kicking out at him.

The victim was punched again by Stewart and others which caused him to fall to the floor. A group of men then ran towards the victim and Duncan repeatedly punched him and Stewart kicked him once. He suffered a cut to his ear.

The group then turned their focus to another man, with Stewart repeatedly punching him and Duncan kicking and punching him, causing him to go to the ground, where unknown men kicked and punched him.

Police arrived and saw one victim on the ground and another unconscious in the bushes and he had a seizure. They refused to give statements to police but were identified after CCTV images were circulated on social media.

In relation to that, Duncan and Stewart, 27, of Cherrywood, Newcastle, admitted affray. The court heard all three have previous convictions.

Duncan was jailed for a total of 30 months, Green got 20 months suspended for 21 months with 100 hours unpaid work and Stewart got 12 months suspended for 21 months with 100 hours unpaid work.

Did you know you can make ChronicleLive a preferred source of North East news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.

ChronicleLive has created a dedicated WhatsApp community for breaking news and our biggest stories. You can join this WhatsApp community here. It will keep you up-to-date with news as it breaks and our top stories of the day sent directly to your phone.