A man woke to see someone in a gas mask stabbing him in the face with a long kitchen knife.

Victim Robert Mansfield told Canterbury Crown Court: “The man shouted ‘where’s the money?’ He had a dumbbell bar in his left hand which he used to hit me while stabbing me with the knife which was in his right hand.”

Greg Coleman, 37, of Bromley and John Mahoney, 35, of Tomlin House, Margate, denied aggravated burglary, assault causing actual harm and having an offensive weapon.

The jury unanimously found Coleman guilty of the assault and Mahoney guilty by a 11-1 majority. Both men were found guilty by an 11-1 majority of having the offensive weapon.

But the jury could not reach a decision on the aggravated burglary charge and Recorder Rupert Lowe discharged them.

The case was adjourned to November 1 to fix a retrial or to sentence both men if the CPS does not seek a new trial. Both men were remanded in custody.

The attack happened at 5.50am on April 17 in Athelstan Road, Margate.

Coleman and Mahoney told the jury that Mr Mansfield was a drug dealer and they went to his flat to buy cocaine. He sold them two grams for £80, they said.

Mr Mansfield, a carer, denied being a drug dealer. He told the jury the attackers took £100 from his wallet and three mobile phones and left.

He said he did not recognise the two men. A neighbour rang the police.

Caroline Moonan, prosecuting, told a jury at Canterbury Crown Court the two men were armed with a metal pole, dumbbell bar and knife when they arrived at Mr Mansfield’s flat.

They were arrested just minutes after the attack when police stopped a car in Fitzroy Avenue, Margate.

Cross examined by Guy Wyatt, defending Coleman, Mr Mansfield denied knowing the two men and said he had not sold them drugs before and did not deal in drugs.

Asked if he had made the allegations out of anger Mr Mansfield said: “No, I made the allegations because people like this should not get away with things like this.”

Coleman told the jury that he decided to wear a gas mask and Mahoney a bandana for a joke when they called at Mr Mansfield’s flat to buy drugs.

“We knocked at the door and Rob answered it,” Coleman told the jury. “I had the gas mask on but I let him know it was me by taking it off. He was a bit shocked but let us in and told us to be quiet.

“We bought two grams of cocaine from him. We were drunk, coked up and a bit boisterous and he kept telling us to be quiet. Rob became aggressive and came towards me and I punched him.

He went back and then came flying towards me. He caught a couple of blows from me. I picked up the pole and I think I hit him with it once.”

Mahoney pulled the pair apart and they left.

Coleman denied having a knife and dumbbell bar and said they did not burst into the flat nor did he cut Mr Mansfield in the face, steal £100 from his wallet and collude with Mahoney over their story.

“Rob’s a bit cocky and we decided to play this prank on him to give him a bit of a fright,” he said.

Mahoney told the jury he took the phones to teach Mr Mansfield a lesson. He denied breaking into the flat and stealing the money.

“I am no angel but I do not go to people’s houses to steal,” he said.