A teenager robbed a man celebrating his birthday and trashed his flat before hurling birthday cake on the floor.

Cannabis-smoking James Harris, who had armed himself with an axe and three knives, then bizarrely wished his victim Joseph Austin 'Happy Birthday'.

Now the 18-year-old, of Freemen's Way, Deal, has been sent to a Young Offender’s Institution for five years and eight months after admitting two robberies and possessing an offensive weapon in public.

Prosecutor Donna East told Canterbury Crown Court how Mr Austin had been with his girlfriend when they were attacked near his home in London Road, Dover, in April.

“They had been out and when they returned discovered a communal door open.

“He was then aware of footsteps running down the stairs.

“Harris had an axe in one hand and a knife in the other.

“As Mr Austin’s girlfriend came upstairs, Harris began swinging the axe above his head.

“Mr Austin was caught in the ribs by the butt of the axe bruising his kidney, she added.

Harris started behaving “erratically” ordering the frightened couple into the flat where it had been trashed.

The prosecutor told how Harris had gone into the fridge and hurled a birthday cake on the floor before squirting the walls with washing up liquid.

The robber then told Mr Austin: “Don’t move or I will stab you” before repeatedly taking his victim’s girlfriend’s iphone to try to get drugs.

“He swung the axe and demanded money from both of them telling them he had nothing to lose as he was going to prison.

“During the 45-minute ordeal, Mr Austin had to jump in front of his girlfriend to protect her on several occasions and Harris had also taken £115 of birthday money, as well as an ipad, a mobile phone, gift vouchers, a bank card and a games console.

“He then forced the terrified couple out of their home and into the street before making them return where he again collected the axe before he fled.

"They were so frightened that they went to a friend’s house and stayed there the night," added the prosecutor.

Harris was arrested later outside a fast-foot restaurant in Whitfield where he still had the stolen phones and knives.

Judge Heather Norton told him: “It must have been the most terrifying 45 minutes for both of your victims.

“You committed these robbers because you were under the influence of drugs, but that’s an aggravating feature in this case.”

She also ordered him to stay away from his victim’s home until further notice.