A man is facing prison time after a tractor was 'hotwired' and rammed into a family home by masked thugs.
The vehicle was ploughed into a terraced property in Middlesbrough at 'full throttle' shortly after 1am on Saturday, May 9.
Footage from the incident showed a red Massey Ferguson trampling over the driveway as it reversed away from the building, swaying from side to side as it traversed debris on the drive, its yellow lights blaring on top.
Last week, Nathan Blagg appeared at Teesside Crown Court where he admitted aggravated vehicle taking and criminal damage.
The 28-year-old, of Addington Drive, Middlesbrough, previously pleaded guilty before magistrates to affray and another count of aggravated vehicle taking.
Judge Clews said: 'It seems to me that the sentence you will ultimately receive will be a custodial sentence and of some length. Nevertheless a pre-sentence report may be of some assistance.'
Residents who witnessed the incident in May described hearing the tractor and seeing its yellow flashing lights before it drove into the property, as neighbours were forced to evacuate as a precaution.
The family were not in at the time as intruders had allegedly forced their way in and 'smashed up' the interior weeks earlier, leaving the house unoccupied when the attack took place.
The vehicle was ploughed into a terraced property in Middlesbrough at 'full throttle' shortly after 1am on Saturday, May 9
Video from the incident showed the tractor, with its yellow lights blaring, reversing over the debris on the driveway
Neighbours were forced to evacuate after the vehicle damaged the property on Priory Road, Middlesbrough. Last week, Nathan Blagg appeared at Teesside Crown Court where he admitted aggravated vehicle taking and criminal damage
One resident, who spotted the tractor's yellow warning lights moving ominously down the normally quiet street and began filming on his phone, said: 'I heard it and felt it. It reversed into a car and drove back in again. They were all in balaclavas and hoodies. It was the most insane thing I've ever seen.'
In the aftermath of the collision, farmer Ian Tate arrived at the scene to find his vehicle still wedged in the front wall with its engine ticking over.
'There was no key in the ignition,' he told The Mail on Sunday. 'This was a good ten hours after the crash. I don't know if they can hotwire these modern tractors or not.'
'These machines are complicated to handle and complicated to drive,' Mr Tate said. 'Someone had to know what they were doing.'
The tractor was later removed from the property on Tuesday, May 12.
Blagg has been remanded in custody until his next appearance.