A TERRIFIED child saw his father get violently attacked and left unconscious in a horrifying home raid.

Three young thugs, who were aged just 15, 17 and 20 at the time, stormed into the property at night after threatening a mother at knife point.

The burglars attacked the couple with "gratuitous violence", which was witnessed by their six-year-old son, and stole £1,600 which had been saved for a honeymoon.

They then made off from the Ferndown home in a BMW, sparking a major police pursuit which ended in them being detained on the A31.

Jack Dodds, now 21, Joshua Jackson, now 18, and a 16-year-old Bournemouth boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were jailed for a total of 25 years at Bournemouth Crown Court on April 13.

Judge Stephen Climie, who concluded all three defendants were "dangerous offenders", said: "There must be a substantial sentence of imprisonment in this case, not only to mark the gravity of what took place but also to reflect the impact on the family."

Prosecuting, Richard Onslow that shortly before 10pm on May 28, 2020, the door bell of the address in Ford Lane rang and a woman who lived there answered.

"She opened the door and the first thing she saw was a large knife and three men wearing scarves, masks and gloves," said Mr Onslow.

An effort to close the door failed and the three defendants forced their way into the flat as she shouted for help.

Jackson and the boy went up the stairs and into the home, while Dodds restrained the woman by putting his weight on her at the bottom of the stairs and telling her to "shut the **** up".

As Dodds went to close the front door she managed to move away before he pushed her against a wall.

The other two defendants demanded money from her husband, who at first said he did not have any money before stating there was money in the kitchen.

After handing over the cash, the victim was assaulted with "many punches to the face" before they left the property.

Mr Onslow said the husband tried to protect himself and the next thing he remembered was "being on the kitchen floor with blood on his face".

His partner found him unconscious on the floor and she called 999. He was taken to hospital and required stitches for a facial wound.

The court heard the noise caused during the burglary did not go unnoticed by neighbours, with a woman saying she saw two men leaving the property and one of them said "I could have ******* killed him".

Police responded to the 999 call and tracked a white BMW to a car park in Blandford Forum.

The vehicle had its engine running and when approached by officers and asked to turn the engine off, it reversed before driving forward at speed and hitting the door of the police car.

At this point, the police helicopter had been alerted and located the BMW.

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A pursuit followed with more and more police cars involved before they defendants were eventually brought to a stop on the eastbound A31 and arrested.

Reading a victim impact statement in court, the female victim said: "I will never get over the state they left my husband in that evening. There was blood everywhere. My son thought he was dead."

She said they have had to move house as a result of what happened, with the family, including their son, needing counselling.

A statement from her husband, read by Mr Onslow said: "I am not sure I will ever get over what happened in our house last May, especially as I will have a scar for the rest of my life reminding me what happened inside my own home."

The statement added: "I will always remember them attacking me in front of my son."

Richard Martin, representing the boy, said his client expressed his remorse and apologised to the victims in a letter he had written.

The youth had been exploited and taken advantage of by others, Mr Martin said, adding, however, that he knew what was coming to him in terms of immediate custody.

Rebecca Lee, representing Jackson, said he had also been exploited but he expressed "regret and remorse for his actions in the circumstances of what took place".

She said Jackson had recently been diagnosed as having ADHD and he was "particularly appalled" when he was told there were children in the flat, something he did not realise at the time of the offence.

Nick Robinson, representing Dodds, said his client had reflected on his actions while remanded in custody and he was sorry for what he did.

Mr Robinson said Dodds lacked maturity in his head and his heart, adding: "His ability to control his emotions is close to zero."

The court heard that he lost a close friend in 2019 and has struggled ever since.

Giving evidence during Mr Robinson's mitigation, Dodds's mother Mandy apologised to the victims.

She said Dodds "was never brought up" to act the way he has, but added there was no excuse for what he did.

"The three of them deserve to go to prison," said Ms Dodds.

The court heard that the boy and Jackson had both been assessed by the National Referral Mechanism and found to have been exploited and manipulated.

Judge Climie said the background to the burglary was that the defendants had been pressured to pay off a drug debt.

He added: "I am quite satisfied this property had been targeted as somehow somebody had become aware there were some very significant savings in the house."

The judge said the progress made since the offence by each defendant with rehabilitation authorities was commendable but all three have a history of being involved in the drug scene.

Dodds, of Bure Lane, Christchurch, was convicted after a trial of aggravated burglary, two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding and criminal damage. He was also in breaches of suspended sentences for previous offending.

Jackson, of no fixed abode, admitted aggravated burglary and common assault.

The boy admitted aggravated burglary and two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding.

Dodds was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment, Jackson for seven and a half years and the boy for six and a half years.

Judge Climie concluded that the three defendants are dangerous offenders in that there is a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm being caused by them committing further serious offences in the future.

As a result, they have all been made subject to a three-year extended licence period upon completion of the custodial term.