A THUG who smashed his way into a North Ayrshire home while masked and armed with knives, launching a savage attack on the occupants, has been jailed.

Connor McKnight forced entry to the property in Vennel Street, Dalry, in October.

The 21-year-old, and an unidentified second man, wore masks and armed themselves with knives during the terrifying attack.

After getting inside the property they brandished their knives at a man and a woman and assaulted the pair.

They then smashed up the property, damaging furniture and household items with their knives and kicking them, leaving them destroyed and damaged.

McKnight and his accomplice then robbed the pair of two knives, a television, a mobile phone, a lamp and a pair of glasses, before making their escape.

The attack was reported to police and, during the investigation, suspicion fell on McKnight.

He was arrested and charged with assaulting and robbing the pair and was due to go on trial over the offence.

But he struck a deal with prosecutors which saw him plead guilty to a reduced charge.

In exchange for his guilty plea, claims that he and his pal had held their knives at their victims’ necks were deleted from the charge.

He was also cleared of claims he grabbed Miss Wright by the hair and cut her hair, leaving her injured.

Sentence was deferred so McKnight, who was being held on remand at Glasgow’s Barlinnie prison, could be assessed by social workers.

At the High Court in Paisley this week, Judge Lady Scott locked him up for four-and-a-half years.