Two drug fuelled robbers armed with knives and a machete threatened to chop a heavily pregnant woman into bits the day after targeting an elderly couple in a similar raid.

Colin Lindsay, 22, and Kevin Tully, 31, have been jailed for a total of 20 years after admitted raiding the two homes and threatening the couples who live there.

Lindsay, from Edinburgh, was jailed for ten-and-a half-years after pleading guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday.

Tully, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to nine years and both men will be monitored in the community for four years after their release.

The pair admitted threatening the pregnant woman and her partner with knives and a knuckleduster after entering their Edinburgh home and robbing them of jewellery, two iPods, two television sets, an X-Box, a laptop, four mobile phones and a car key.

The court heard that the incident took place after the woman, who was 30 weeks pregnant at the time, did not lock her back door after letting one of her dogs out.

Shortly afterwards she heard a noise in the hallway and Lindsay, who was dressed in black, walked in brandishing a large knife and had a knuckleduster on his left hand.

Lindsay told the couple to stay calm and not do anything stupid before saying: "I'm going to chop you into bits. I've been told to come in here and chop you."

He also added: "I'm the hardest guy in this area."

Tully, who had a knife, then entered the living room with items he had taken from the house in his pockets.

The couple were then forced upstairs to their bedroom, which had been ransacked, and told to wait in their en-suite bathroom for 45 minutes with the door locked.

The couple then looked out of the bathroom window and saw a silver Vauxhall Corsa drive off.

The same car was spotted at the scene of another robbery the previous night when Lindsay and Tully targeted an elderly couple.

They entered the pensioner's home before threatening them and making off with jewellery, a watch, a knuckleduster, two iPods, a knife at set of playing cards, a sewing box and cash.

The couple, both 69, were wakened at around 1.40am by their doorbell being rung and then tapping at the side kitchen door.

When the husband opened the blinds he was confronted by Tully, dressed all in black and wearing a balaclava, carrying what appeared to be a machete.

Tully then kicked in the door and told him: "Don't f***ing move or I'll kill you."

In a state of panic his wife unlocked the front door and was confronted by Lindsay who hit her over the head with a wood.

The court heard that the elderly woman pleaded with him to stop, telling him she had a heart condition and that she believed he was trying to kill her.

A tip-off to police revealed that Lindsay and Tully were responsible for the crimes committed on the nights of February 11 and 12 and had access to a silver Corsa.

They pair were found in a flat in Doddingston Row, Edinburgh, and a number of the stolen items were also recovered from there.

Lord Mulholland told both men: "This court takes a very serious view of your conduct. Members of the public should not have their homes invaded in this way. These were terrifying ordeals."

Both men claimed to be ashamed by the offences that they say were committed while they were under the influence of drugs.

Lindsay's QC said he was on crack cocaine and heroin at the time of the offences and Tully's representative said his client was under the influence of Valium.