A LYE man who was armed with a machete when he burst into the home of a frightened family has been locked up for 33 months.

Mohammed Talib, aged 27, went with his two armed accomplices to the house in Park Street, Lye, because of a long standing family dispute but they all fled when they were told police officers were on the way.

Talib and his 37-year-old brother Mohammed Zaber also assaulted a man who had gone into their family-run shop in Lye to make a complaint, said Timothy Sapwell, prosecuting.

He said Zaber repeatedly punched their victim in the face and when he was down, Talib kicked him to the head and stamped on him as he curled up on the floor in a desperate bid to protect himself.

Then, Mr Sapwell told Wolverhampton Crown Court, Zaber made threats to two men who witnessed the attack telling them they would be in serious trouble if they made statements to police.

Judge Philip Parker QC also jailed Zaber for 33 months and told him he had a "bad" record for violence adding, "You believed you had the right to threaten people who dared make a complaint about you."

The judge told the brothers, "Both of you are simply cowards. You use violence when you think a course requires it and you are both bullies."

Talib, of Crabbe Street, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and violent disorder and the judge told him, "This was an armed invasion by you and two others of a house and you made threats to kill.

"It was fortunate the police had been called because you then all made off but you caused a substantial amount of damage to the house in what must have been a terrifying scene for the family."

Zaber, of Chapel Street, Lye admitted assault causing actual bodily but he denied two charges of witness intimidation only to be found guilty by a jury at the end of his trial.

The judge said the victim of the assault suffered bruising, swelling and a cut lip and it was fortunate his injuries had not been more serious.

Michael Anning, defending Talib, said he got involved in the attack on the house at "the behest of another" and maintained, "It was not his argument. He was not the prime mover."

Claire Burtwistle for Zaber said he lost his temper when he carried out the insult in the shop: "The victim went in to have a go and he accepts he completely over-reacted."