A MASKED gunman who brought night-time terror to the house of a teenage computer boss was today starting a five-year jail sentence.

And the police officer who ended up looking down the barrell of the gun told how he chased Michael Flaherty, 27, and brought him to the floor during a struggle.

Burnley Crown Court was told Flaherty was armed with an imitation pistol when he burst into the Colne home of Riaz Thobani, 18, but the victim and police were unaware it was fake -- and the defendant later told police it was so realistic it "looked the part."

The court heard how Flaherty also looked the part wearing a black woolly hat, fingerless gloves and a bandana over his face.

He made off with a haul worth almost £5,000 after demanding laptop computers and cash and punching Mr Thobani during the attack in Brown Street West, Colne.

Three other people apart from the defendant were said to have been involved in the raid, last August.

Sentencing, Judge David Pirie said Mr Thobani and another teenager at the premises must have been terrified when the gun was produced.

He said allegations of other acts of violence and other threats had been made by the two young men and had they been substantiated, the jail term would have been longer.

Flaherty, of The Crescent, Colne, had earlier admitted robbery and possessing an imitation firearm.

After the case, Detective Constable Andy Eddleston said he was happy with the sentence. The complainants had been traumatised by what happened but it was hoped they could put it behind them.

He said it would send out a message to other criminals prepared to use firearms be they imitation or real, that they would suffer at the hands of the court.

The officer also paid tribute to PC Dave France who he said had shown great courage when coming face to face with the defendant and added he had since been awarded the Chief Constable's Commendation for bravery.

William Staunton, prosecuting, had told the court Mr Thobani ran a computer business , dealing in liquidated stock, and advertised through Loot and on the Internet.

About 8.45pm, he and the other youth heard a knock at the door, the younger teenager answered it and was confronted by Flaherty, armed with the imitation, but realistic looking Buretti hand pistol.

The weapon was in fact a gas powered pellet gun.

Both youths were then threatened with violence and in terror, they handed over two boxed laptop computers and cash before he made off.

Mr Staunton said fortunately, two police officers were in the area and spotted two men acting suspiciously. One, the defendant, was masked and the other was apparently of Asian origin.

PC France chased the defendant who produced the pistol from his right sock, putting the officer in fear. Flaherty then slung it over a wall.

The prosecutor added the defendant, who was abusive, was found in possession of £100 cash, which tallied with the amount taken in the robbery.

June Morris, defending, said Flaherty, who had not had an easy life and had suffered from mental health problems in the past, did not attempt to offer an excuse for his actions and acknowleged the complainants must have been frightened.

PC France said today: "I was at the end of my shift and was driving back to Colne police station when I saw a man coming out of a back alley carrying a box and I decided to follow him.

"He ran off and went into a back alleyway and so I got out of the vehicle and pursued him on foot.

"He then discarded the box and it turned out there was a computer inside and he went to the end of this alleyway and bent down.

"He then produced a black handgun from his sock and he he held it up towards me before discarding it over a wall and tried to jump over a wall at the end of the alleyway so I just jumped on him."