A TERRIFIED burglar begged police to take him away – after his victims got their hands on him.

Tom Webb, of Olive Avenue, Leigh, got more than he bargained for after driving to Sittingbourne, Kent, to try to steal a diamond-encrusted Rolex, worth £11,500, which he had spotted on eBay.

The 21-year-old ended up battered and bruised when his plan backfired and he was surrounded by seller Sammy Redsell and his family.

Yesterday, at Maidstone Crown Court, Webb was shown little sympathy and jailed for five years.

Ed Connell, prosecuting, said: “By the time the police arrived, he was begging them to take him away.

“He had lacerations to his head which required stitches, and his nose will never be the same again because of a significant bite injury.”

The court heard Webb had hatched a plan to steal the watch, which belonged to Mr Redsell’s late mother, after finding it on the internet auction site.

Webb and a friend, Robert Mills, drove to Mr Redsell’s grandparents’ home in February, where they met Mr Redsell and other members of his family.

Webb said he wanted to buy the watch and could pay £9,000 in cash, but would have to write a cheque for the remaining money.

When the family refused, he went back to his car and returned with a can of self-defence spray gel, which he used to assault Mr Redsell and his girlfriend.

Webb also hit Mr Redsell’s 81-year-old grandfather with a vase and attacked his 79-year-old grandmother, before grabbing the watch.

However, his escape was blocked by the Redsells and the court heard Webb was subjected to “significant and severe” violence.

Judge Michael Carroll said Webb had “picked on the wrong family”.

He added: “Things started to go wrong when you realised you were not going to get away with it. This family was not prepared to see this valuable item being taken.”

Webb pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and two charges of assault causing actual bodily harm.

The court heard Mr Redsell was left with cuts and bites after the fight and his grandfather had a gash on his hand and was kept in hospital for two days.

The value of the watch also dropped by about £5,500 after it was covered in the gel spray.