A masked intruder who subjected residents at a religious retreat to a violent armed raid is behind bars after being bravely tackled by his victims.

A judge said it was "fortunate for the interests of justice" they had overpowered and restrained career criminal George Mason after he and his accomplices had "obliterated the peace and sanctuary" at St Augustine's Abbey in Ramsgate.

Canterbury Crown Court heard it was the eighth time in less than 10 years that the retreat – once a Benedictine monastery and now owned by the Vincentian Congregation – had been targeted.

Mason, 29, of High Street, Margate, and two unidentified men broke in during the early hours of July 7. All had their faces covered, one was brandishing a metal wrench and £1,000 worth of damage was caused.

Many of the occupants, who were visiting from abroad, were asleep or saying prayers when they were confronted by their assailants.

Threats to tie up, stab and even kill some of the victims were made by the gang as money was demanded and rooms ransacked, said prosecutor Bridget Todd.

One man was made to lie on the floor where he was kicked and punched. A father and son were warned they would die as they were forced to lay face-down, side by side, on the chapel floor with one of the burglars sitting astride them. Meanwhile, a priest was pinned onto his bed.

"He was told not to move and they were asking for money. One of the males started pulling out drawers while the other two, including this defendant, kept asking for money," Miss Todd told the court yesterday.

At one point as the search for cash continued, the intruders were told: "This is a church, there is no money."

But it was as the burglars were fleeing with about £1,300 that the residents grabbed Mason around his middle and held onto him until police arrived.

The court heard he even bit the thumb of one of those restraining him as he desperately tried to escape.

The victims were said to have been left "scared, shocked and frustrated" by their ordeal, and feared the raiders' return or "repercussions".

Miss Todd said it was described by the priest as "the worst" of eight incidents to have occurred at the retreat in the last nine years.

Mason was arrested and pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary. He also admitted breaching a nine-month suspended sentence order that been imposed just four months prior to the abbey raid for five offences of violence and theft against an ex-partner, her relative and a male friend.

The court was told his 25 previous convictions for 38 offences include seven for burglary and attempted burglary.

Ian Foinette, defending, said Mason acknowledged the "disgraceful" incident and the "frightening" impact it had had.

But his argument that mitigation could be found in the fact Mason had not been armed himself was rejected by Judge Simon Taylor KC, who said all three had "acted as a confederacy with no hierarchy".

Jailing Mason for a total of eight years, the judge told him: "St Augustine's Abbey can be best described as a place of sanctuary, peace and religious worship which had people visiting and staying there from around the world.

"The consequence of it being a residential retreat is that people would keep their belongings in private rooms. I have no doubt that's why you and your accomplices targeted those premises.

"Your combined actions obliterated that sense of peace and sanctuary those people had been praying for. This was a planned event, you knew what was going to happen.

"Fortunately for the interests of justice you were overpowered and held down by staff and residents until the police arrived."

The judge added that although Mason had not shown any remorse, his "difficult upbringing" gave some insight into his "damaging and disgraceful" offending.

But he concluded: "I'm not sure how much mitigation that has for someone of your age and, no doubt, would have been used many times on previous occasions, what with your 38 convictions."