A GANG of masked robbers kicked in the door of a man's home, while his pregnant partner and her young son slept upstairs, and stole plants from his cannabis farm, a court heard yesterday.

Sean Barker was watching TV in his living room late at night when he heard loud banging from his front door and saw four men in balaclava masks, gloves and dark tracksuits in his house in Leeds Road, Thackley, Bradford Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor George Hazel-Owram told a jury one of the intruders pointed a knife or screwdriver at Mr Barker and he was ordered to get on the floor and put a cushion over his head.

One of the robbers went upstairs and Mr Barker's girlfriend, Katie Sutcliffe, hid under the bed covers, but he pulled them off and dragged her by the ankles and pulled her to the feet. She was then pushed and dragged downstairs to the living room and made to sit on the floor.

Mr Hazel-Owram said two of the intruders went to the cellar and then kept running in and out of the house, back and forth from the cellar.

The prosecutor said: "They were removing cannabis plants from his cellar, bringing them upstairs and piling them outside the front door.

"Mr Barker readily admits growing cannabis plants. It appears the purpose of the robbery was to steal the plants."

He said the cellar contained a number of cannabis plants and a hydroponic growing system with air filters and extractors.

Mr Hazel-Owram told the jury: "Sean Barker has fully admitted growing cannabis. He was arrested and prosecuted and pleaded guilty and was sentenced."

He added: "He has clearly accepted an illegal activity, growing cannabis, but that does not make it in any way justified to break into his property, threaten him and drag his girlfriend down the stairs."

Mr Hazel-Owram said only one of the four intruders was caught - the defendant, Thomas Christoforou, 25, of Park Road, Eccleshill, Bradford, who has pleaded not guilty to three charges of robbery.

The prosecutor said the charges arose out of the same incident and included stealing Mr Barker's mobile phone and 15-week pregnant Miss Sutcliffe's purse and contents, which included an ultrasound scan of her unborn baby.

The court heard police were alerted by a passer by who saw the front door being kicked in. The gang fled when they heard the police sirens.

Mr Hazel-Owram said one of the officers saw the defendant run out of the front door and out of the garden, and police gave chase.

At one point they tried to block his escape with a police van, but he leaped over the bonnet. He was eventually caught and arrested.

He gave a prepared statement accepting he had been in the area but denying participation in the robbery.

The trial continues.

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