By . Steph Cockroft . A gang of masked robbers burst into a family's home and carried out a series of brutal attacks with a knife and a crowbar after mistaking their house for a drug dealer's. The weapon-wielding attackers broke into the Welsh Valleys home, before launching the terrifying midnight raid, which was described by the judge as 'everyone's nightmare'. In the attack - said to be like 'a scene from a horror film' - the mother was stabbed with a knife, while her daughter was hit with a crowbar and punched repeatedly in the face. The teenage son, who was stabbed twice in the leg while pleading for the attackers to leave his family alone, still cannot walk properly following the assault, the court was told. Scroll down for video . Christopher Edwards, 38, pictured left, and Mark Anthony Peacock, 39, right, were two of the masked robbers who broke into a family's home and carried out a brutal midnight raid after mistaking it for a drug dealer's . Shakira Jane Hellings, 29, pictured left, and Stanley Melville Carey Butler, 40, were another two members of the gang who carried out the attacks at the family's home in the Welsh Valleys . Now the four-strong gang, from Rhondda - who have a long list of previous convictions, including for assaults and burglaries - have been jailed for a total of nearly 40 years. Mark Anthony Peacock, 39, Shakira Jane Hellings, 29, Christopher Edwards, 38, and Stanley Melville Carey Butler, 40, all admitted aggravated burglary and four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm when they appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court. Jailing the gang, Judge Richard Twomlow said it had been an 'utterly appalling and frightening incident' which had had a devastating effect on the family. He said: 'It is hard to imagine a case which could be very much worse than this. 'This . was an utterly appalling and frightening incident involving serious . violence on a wholly innocent family in their own home. 'It has been . suggested that it is everyone’s nightmare. It is clearly true.' The court heard how the attack took place on June 5, as the family members - who cannot be named for legal reasons - were asleep at home. Rachel Knight, prosecuting, said the eldest daughter was woken up when she heard a man demanding money. When she heard the commotion on the landing, . she went out to find her brother being assaulted. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Christopher Edwards, 38, from Treorchy, has appeared in court on eight previous occasions for 16 offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Mark Anthony Peacock, . 39, from Tylorstown, had appeared in court on 36 occasions and has been convicted of 136 offences. This includes 20 convictions for dwelling burglaries or attempted burglaries and violence. Shakira Jane Hellings, 29, from Tyn y Bryn, who had been a law student at Bath University before turning to drugs, has been convicted of 15 offences from nine court appearances. Stanley Melville Carey Butler, from Tylorstown, has 37 previous convictions from 20 court appearances, including for affray, possessing offensive weapons, burglary and violence. The girl managed to grab one of the attackers but was pushed back and hit with a crowbar. She was then repeatedly punched in the face, the court was told. That attack woke up the children's mother, who got up from her bed to try and stop the assault. But, as she tried to reach her children, she was pushed backwards into a wardrobe and stabbed with a knife. Her attacker then made a demand for money before hitting her husband over the head with a crowbar. Ms Knight said the mother managed to strike the attacker with a hammer that had been brought to the scene. But when she went onto the landing, she saw her son being assaulted on the stairs by two of the defendants, one of whom was armed with a knife. The court heard her son was seen pleading with the attackers to leave the family alone. His mother then managed to kick the armed man down the stairs and the four robbers fled the scene. The court heard the burglary and assaults were witnessed . by the family’s youngest child who, although unhurt, was . seen screaming from the bedroom window for help. The robbers were caught less than one hour later after a neighbour saw the van used by the gang and heard the family's call for help. Ms Knight said: 'He said when he went inside it was a scene from a horror film. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, where the four robbers were jailed for a collective . 40 years, heard the family had been left traumatised by the incident, . which the judge described as 'everyone's nightmare' 'It was clear that they were targeting this property because they thought he was a drug dealer. That was wrong. They got the wrong house. It was as simple as that.' After the attack, the teenage son had to undergo general surgery and still does not know whether he will recover full movement. He also had to pull out of his college course, the court was told. Ms Knight also said the incident had left the family feeling unsafe in their own home. They were said to be anxious and nervous, as well as  paranoid to the point where they have considered moving. 'It is hard to imagine a case which could be very much worse than this' Judge Richard Twomlow . She said: 'The father said that he had always felt safe in his own home but this had shattered that belief.' The court was told each of the four defendants had criminal records and were remorseful. Defending Edwards, a father-of-two, Ieuan Bennett said the carpenter had got his life on track before spiralling into drink and drugs when his relationship broke down. It was his works van that was used during the burglary, the court was told. Defennding Hellings, Jeremy Jenkins said she had been a law student at Bath University before dropping out because of an abusive relationship and getting hooked on drugs. He said: 'She has had a spectacular fall from grace. Drugs and drink have absolutely ruined her life.' Edwards was jailed for nine years, Butler . was jailed for 10 years and Hellings and Peacock were each jailed for . nine-and-a-half years. Each will have to pay a £120 victim surcharge.
Attackers burst into Welsh Valleys home in June this year while family slept .
Mother was stabbed by robber while daughter was attacked with crowbar .
Teenage son was stabbed twice in leg while pleading for attackers to leave .
Witnessed by youngest child who was seen screaming from window for help .
Described as an 'utterly appalling, frightening - everyone's nightmare'
Four robbers jailed at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court for total of nearly 40 years .
Prosecutor Rachel Knight: 'They got the wrong house. It's as simple as that'
By . Steph Cockroft . A gang of masked robbers burst into a family's home and carried out a series of brutal attacks with a knife and a crowbar after mistaking their house for a drug dealer's. The weapon-wielding attackers broke into the Welsh Valleys home, before launching the terrifying midnight raid, which was described by the judge as 'everyone's nightmare'. In the attack - said to be like 'a scene from a horror film' - the mother was stabbed with a knife, while her daughter was hit with a crowbar and punched repeatedly in the face. The teenage son, who was stabbed twice in the leg while pleading for the attackers to leave his family alone, still cannot walk properly following the assault, the court was told. Scroll down for video . Christopher Edwards, 38, pictured left, and Mark Anthony Peacock, 39, right, were two of the masked robbers who broke into a family's home and carried out a brutal midnight raid after mistaking it for a drug dealer's . Shakira Jane Hellings, 29, pictured left, and Stanley Melville Carey Butler, 40, were another two members of the gang who carried out the attacks at the family's home in the Welsh Valleys . Now the four-strong gang, from Rhondda - who have a long list of previous convictions, including for assaults and burglaries - have been jailed for a total of nearly 40 years. Mark Anthony Peacock, 39, Shakira Jane Hellings, 29, Christopher Edwards, 38, and Stanley Melville Carey Butler, 40, all admitted aggravated burglary and four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm when they appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court. Jailing the gang, Judge Richard Twomlow said it had been an 'utterly appalling and frightening incident' which had had a devastating effect on the family. He said: 'It is hard to imagine a case which could be very much worse than this. 'This . was an utterly appalling and frightening incident involving serious . violence on a wholly innocent family in their own home. 'It has been . suggested that it is everyone’s nightmare. It is clearly true.' The court heard how the attack took place on June 5, as the family members - who cannot be named for legal reasons - were asleep at home. Rachel Knight, prosecuting, said the eldest daughter was woken up when she heard a man demanding money. When she heard the commotion on the landing, . she went out to find her brother being assaulted. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Christopher Edwards, 38, from Treorchy, has appeared in court on eight previous occasions for 16 offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Mark Anthony Peacock, . 39, from Tylorstown, had appeared in court on 36 occasions and has been convicted of 136 offences. This includes 20 convictions for dwelling burglaries or attempted burglaries and violence. Shakira Jane Hellings, 29, from Tyn y Bryn, who had been a law student at Bath University before turning to drugs, has been convicted of 15 offences from nine court appearances. Stanley Melville Carey Butler, from Tylorstown, has 37 previous convictions from 20 court appearances, including for affray, possessing offensive weapons, burglary and violence. The girl managed to grab one of the attackers but was pushed back and hit with a crowbar. She was then repeatedly punched in the face, the court was told. That attack woke up the children's mother, who got up from her bed to try and stop the assault. But, as she tried to reach her children, she was pushed backwards into a wardrobe and stabbed with a knife. Her attacker then made a demand for money before hitting her husband over the head with a crowbar. Ms Knight said the mother managed to strike the attacker with a hammer that had been brought to the scene. But when she went onto the landing, she saw her son being assaulted on the stairs by two of the defendants, one of whom was armed with a knife. The court heard her son was seen pleading with the attackers to leave the family alone. His mother then managed to kick the armed man down the stairs and the four robbers fled the scene. The court heard the burglary and assaults were witnessed . by the family’s youngest child who, although unhurt, was . seen screaming from the bedroom window for help. The robbers were caught less than one hour later after a neighbour saw the van used by the gang and heard the family's call for help. Ms Knight said: 'He said when he went inside it was a scene from a horror film. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, where the four robbers were jailed for a collective . 40 years, heard the family had been left traumatised by the incident, . which the judge described as 'everyone's nightmare' 'It was clear that they were targeting this property because they thought he was a drug dealer. That was wrong. They got the wrong house. It was as simple as that.' After the attack, the teenage son had to undergo general surgery and still does not know whether he will recover full movement. He also had to pull out of his college course, the court was told. Ms Knight also said the incident had left the family feeling unsafe in their own home. They were said to be anxious and nervous, as well as paranoid to the point where they have considered moving. 'It is hard to imagine a case which could be very much worse than this' Judge Richard Twomlow . She said: 'The father said that he had always felt safe in his own home but this had shattered that belief.' The court was told each of the four defendants had criminal records and were remorseful. Defending Edwards, a father-of-two, Ieuan Bennett said the carpenter had got his life on track before spiralling into drink and drugs when his relationship broke down. It was his works van that was used during the burglary, the court was told. Defennding Hellings, Jeremy Jenkins said she had been a law student at Bath University before dropping out because of an abusive relationship and getting hooked on drugs. He said: 'She has had a spectacular fall from grace. Drugs and drink have absolutely ruined her life.' Edwards was jailed for nine years, Butler . was jailed for 10 years and Hellings and Peacock were each jailed for . nine-and-a-half years. Each will have to pay a £120 victim surcharge.
into the Welsh Valleys home, before launching the while her daughter was hit with a crowbar and who was stabbed twice in the leg while pleading for the attackers to leave his family alone, burglaries - have been jailed for a total of nearly 40 years. Mark Anthony Peacock, 39, than this. 'This . was an utterly appalling and reasons - were asleep at home. Rachel Knight, witnessed . by the family’s youngest child who, although unhurt, was . seen screaming from the bedroom window for help. The robbers were caught Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, where the four 'everyone's nightmare' 'It was clear that they the wrong house. It was as simple as that.' After