A mother and her two children were left terrified when a burglar armed with a large knife kicked down the door to their home.

Phillip Ebanks was the ringleader in a brazen four-man attack on the Margate property in broad daylight, a court heard.

The 29-year-old was arrested and later charged after being picked out of a police lineup.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how the mum had been home with her two sons when the gang struck March 9 last year.

Prosecutor Helena Kaullar said: “The defendant entered the dwelling on Victoria Road with intent to steal.

“He is seen kicking the door. Three of the men are wearing hoods and it’s only the defendant who has his face uncovered.”

“[The mum] saw a man with a large kitchen knife with a silver handle.

“She shouted: ‘Get the f*** out of my house.’”

The raiders fled the scene empty-handed but Ebanks, of Upper Dane Street, Margate, was arrested four days later after being picked out of a police lineup.

He later pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at a pre-trial hearing on April 23.

The court heard on Friday, May 16, how a blood sample taken from the front door matched Ebanks’ DNA.

He had been held on remand since his arrest. Mitigating, his lawyer Paul Hogben said the defendant had been making productive use of his time behind bars.

“During his 14 months on remand, he has really knuckled down and shown a willingness to rehabilitate,” said Mr Hogben.

“He has numerous certificates and attendance notes that show he has been doing his best to make changes.

“But our chief mitigation is his guilty plea.”

The court heard Ebanks had felt “disrespected” because the householder owed him money for drugs and “had refused to pay”.

In committing the crime, the burglar breached a 58-week suspended sentence ordered less than a month before for assaulting a police officer.

The court heard he also has previous convictions for robbery, carrying weapons, and intent to supply heroin and cocaine.

He attended court wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt and remained quiet throughout the proceedings.

Judge David Jeremy KC addressed him directly as he handed down his sentence.

“Suspended sentences are designed to give you a chance to avoid prison and rehabilitate yourself,” he said.

“But within a month of you being given that opportunity, the events of the March 9 aggravated burglary took place.

“You were the one who recruited the others to help you smash your way in - you were obviously the ringleader.

“The gang of you searched the kitchen cupboards and left with nothing. But the terror caused by four strangers literally smashing their way into a home - one of them armed with a knife - that terror does not need to be put into words.”

The judge said Ebanks had shown little remorse for his victims, according to a pre-sentence report.

“You lied in your police interview, and only abandoned your lie when you were picked out by one of the victims at a suspect parade,” he added.

“It is to your credit that you have taken every opportunity while in prison to turn your life around. I hope you really are turning a corner in your life, but you obviously have a very large corner to turn.”

Ebanks was given a custodial sentence of seven years and six months. He will serve two-thirds of that sentence before being eligible to be released on licence.