A PAIR of notorious brothers from Tavistock have been jailed for more than 20 years for burgling the home of a man who was then attacked with a knife and a pipe.

Mark and David Stephens armed themselves with a knife before sneaking into the man’s house in the middle of the night as a drugs feud boiled over, a court heard.

Mark, aged 51, repeatedly hit Gary Perkins with a vacuum cleaner pipe and slashed him in the stomach with a knife in Tavistock.

Mr Perkins was left with a broken nose, bleeding on the brain and a badly bruised face during the attack.

He told Plymouth Crown Court during a trial how he had to pick several broken teeth from his bedroom floor.

Mr Perkins said he was ‘absolutely terrified’ during his ordeal on April 27 last year.

Recorder Simon Levene jailed Mark Stephens for ten years and David Stephens for 12 years.

The judge said both men had a long record of serious offences.

He added: ‘I have no doubt the brothers were in search of money and or drugs. As a result of this incident, the victim was left in a bad state.’

David Stephens was in breach of a suspended prison sentence for burglary, the court heard.

The brothers denied the break-in — even though they were found covered in the victim’s blood when they were arrested just over 24 hours later.

And Mark Stephens’ fingerprints were found on the heavy metal vacuum cleaner pole used as a weapon to bludgeon Mr Perkins.

Mark Stephens, from Tavistock, and 53-year-old David Stephens, from Chillaton, went on trial over eight days after denying a joint charge of aggravated burglary.

Mark Stephens alone denied assaulting Mr Perkins causing grievous bodily harm with intent. They were convicted by unanimous verdicts in January but their sentencing was delayed because of psychiatric reports.

The court heard that the brothers stole a ladder from a home nearby and climbed into Mr Perkins’ flat in Buzzard Road in the early hours. They escaped with about £150.

Their denials came despite the fact the both were clearly identified by Mr Perkins — David Stephens has a distinctive and offensive facial tattoo.

Both brothers are notorious in Tavistock, where they have committed a string of offences.

Following the court hearing last Friday (May 18), officer in charge of the case, DC Wayne Thielmann, said: ‘We are really pleased with the sentence and thank you to the members of the public who came forward to provide evidence which assisted the case.

‘The Stephens brothers were very well known around the town especially with their anti-social and intimidating behaviour. It is pleasing that the court recognised the seriousness of the offence that they committed and we should all be pleased that they got the appropriate sentence.’