FIVE men have been jailed for more than 36 years for their part in a violent burglary at a cannabis farm that left a 56-year-old man with serious stab wounds.

A "complex investigation" by Gloucestershire Police revealed that a six-strong gang travelled to the Redmarley house where the attack took place from the Bristol and Weston-super-Mare areas, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

The raid and violent assault shortly after midnight on Monday, September 24, was caught on CCTV, with the culprits making off with more than 100 cannabis plants worth more than £60,000, a Mercedes car, keys, a mobile phone and cash.

Investigating officers believe that Ryan Bartley, 35, and of Yarrow Court, Weston-Super-Mare, was the mastermind behind the targeted attack.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and was jailed along with four other men – Dillon Kow, Jade Cunningham, Taschan Peart and Dean Purnell.

The sixth man involved in the raid has never been identified.Forensic enquiries helped identify Cunningham after his glasses were knocked off his face in the attack, where he confronted householder David Spurr in the driveway, knifing and kicking him, and leaving him him five serious stab wounds.

The victims injuries included a punctured lung and a fractured cheekbone, while his wife was also pulled out of the house by her hair and threatened, the court heard. She was told not to call an ambulance after the gang left, but did so anyway as her husband lay stricken on the ground.The police investigation built around mobile phone records and car number plate recognition resulted in the arrest of 13 people in relation to the incident and subsequent offences connected to it, with further inquiries still ongoing.

Cunningham, 27, and of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 11 years and three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal and section 18 wounding.

Judge Michael Cullum told him he was a "a dangerous offender.""You chose to stab him and stab him, again and again," he said.

Kow, 26, of Siston Park in Bristol, was sentenced to nine years and seven months after pleading guilty to robbery and conspiracy to steal.

Peart, 22, of Malvern Road in Tottenham, London, was sentenced to nine years and seven months after pleading guilty to robbery and conspiracy to steal.

Purnell, 32, of Kerry Road in Bristol, was sentenced to three years and two months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal.

Bartley was sentenced to two years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal.

The court heard that Purnell and Bartley waited outside while the others entered the property. All of the men will serve half of their sentences before being released on licence.

Senior investigation officer, Det Insp Paula Hannaford, said: “This was not a random burglary, it was a calculated attack which we believe was facilitated and organised by Ryan Bartley himself.

“All of the defendants that have been sentenced today were aware that violence was being used and had been used against the homeowners during this burglary, but sought to leave the scene and the victim incapacitated and bleeding from his injuries.

“It was evident from the CCTV that the victim was extremely fortunate to have survived the attack and I would like to take the opportunity to thank the ambulance crews who attended and the police and ambulance call takers for their quick action on the night.

“The investigation required a team of very dedicated staff to bring Bartley, Purnell, Kow, Cunningham and Peart to justice and to keep our communities safe from their levels of organised criminality.

“Officers from Gloucestershire went into the heart of Bristol and Weston-super-Mare to arrest these men and secure vital evidence.

“I would also like to thank the tactical support provided by Avon and Somerset Police which was required for some of the arrests, due to the additional risk some of the defendants presented to law enforcement at the time.

“This level of violence will not be tolerated in Gloucestershire and we will not be deterred by criminals coming into our county from other areas thinking we are an easy option. We will as the case was with this one, continue to leave no stone unturned if you come here committing crime.

“I would therefore like to thank all officers and staff involved for their individual and collective drive and dedication in bringing these five defendants before the court today.”A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said inquiries are still "ongoing" into the cannabis farm itself.