A man involved in robbing a student at knifepoint in his Bristol home has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Aidler Fernandes was with an unknown accomplice when he burst into the home of student Ali Nariman-Teheri in Freemantle Road, Eastville, and stole items including £400 in cash and a necklace.

Fernandes, 24, who lives in Camden Town, London, denied robbery but was found guilty after a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Imposing the jail term the recorder, Mr Oba Nsugbe QC, told him: "You were convicted by the jury of robbery. You forcefully entered the home of this student, with another and you detained him forcefully with a grip around his neck.

"For him it was a very frightening incident; you demanded to know where items were and a knife was brandished by you very close to his face."

The court heard that, though a Fernandes had a knife in the robbery, it was not used in the incident and the victim was not seriously injured.

Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said Fernandes had previously been jailed for two years for possessing £300 worth of cocaine with intent to supply.

Jennifer Tallentire, defending, said her client would never accept he was guilty of robbery.

She said: "He would say that since his release from his earlier prison sentence he has done everything he could to turn his life around."

Miss Tallentire told the court her client had got involved in voluntary work and was due to start paid employment at a shopping centre but was laid off in January because of hard economic times.

She said: "He tried to do the right thing by everybody, supporting his sister for the care of her children and sending money to the mother of his two-year-old daughter. He would say he's done everything he could to turn his life around, having spent a very unpleasant time in prison."

Miss Tallentire said her client co-operated with police and attended his trial.

She said the two men involved in the robbery had not arrived armed but had picked up a knife as the offence was under way.

"It was not pre-planned to involve the use of a weapon," she said. "The robbery was committed during the day, there was money taken and, mercifully, the victim's injuries were not as serious as this court will have seen."