A MAN with a "dreadful" criminal record has been jailed for a string of offences, including a burglary which saw him chased and pinned to the ground by a brave householder.

Simon Probert, of Manor Road, Abersychan, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday after previously pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance, conspiring to pervert the course of justice - and to two house burglaries, possessing an offensive weapon and assault by beating.

Probert's then partner, Natalie Jones, of Amroth Walk, Cwmbran, was handed a three month sentence suspended for 12 months after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

Richard Ace, prosecuting, said Probert was found in the kitchen of a home in Bristol after waking householders in the early hours of October 3 last year.

Probert fled from the home but a brave householder gave chase, pursuing the hooded figure who climbed over a fence and hurled a brick towards the neighbour.

Probert, 38, said to the householder that he had been chased into the house, before he was grabbed and pinned to the ground.

As the householder held Probert down to the ground, he heard a click and saw the defendant had a knife, the court heard.

Mr Ace said during the struggle Probert bit the householder five times, breaking the skin, although injuries were not serious.

Probert eventually let go of the knife, and he was again pinned to the ground by the householder until police arrived.

When arrested, police also seized a laptop which was found to have been stolen by Probert from another home in Bristol in a separate burglary.

Probert was also sentenced for driving while disqualified, when at around 4am on February 20 last year he crashed a Seat Leon into a hedge in a residential street in Pontypool.

Mr Ace said Probert plotted with Jones, 33, to lie to the police by saying he was not the driver of the car, both claiming it was Jones driving.

But Mr Ace, prosecuting, said evidence from neighbours who witnessed the crash and WhatsApp messages showed Probert was in fact the driver.

Stephen Thomas, defending, said Probert wished to apologise to his victims and was ashamed of his actions.

Mr Thomas said Probert is now "drug free" and regrets the incidents.

Marian Lewis, defending Jones, said the mum-of-three acted with "misguided loyalty" to Probert and may have felt under some pressure to lie to the police.

It was said she "bitterly regrets" her involvement.

Probert, who has 31 convictions for 78 previous offences, described as a "dreadful record" by judge Patrick Curran QC, was jailed for a total of five years, and disqualified from driving for the same period.

Jones must undertake 80 hours of community work in the next 12 months.