Two violent robbers have been jailed for 17 years and 15 years after a brutal attack in a student property.

Brian Mitchell, 50, and Kyle Rice, 26, broke into the student property in the Portswood area of Southampton in the early hours of 3 January 2026, while the victims were asleep.

Laptops, mobile phones and bank cards were stolen before the victims were forced into another room and were attacked and repeatedly struck with a metal pole.

The same night, the men also targeted a nearby business, with cash stolen and a bicycle taken. The bike was later recovered by police.

An eyewitness described seeing two men acting suspiciously in the area over several hours and later identified both defendants. Mitchell and Rice were arrested later that morning, around three hours after the attack.

When officers attended the address, they recovered items stolen during the burglary, along with blood‑stained clothing.

Mitchell and Rice pleaded guilty after the Crown Prosecution Service presented a strong case working alongside Hampshire and IOW Constabulary, supported by CCTV evidence, witness testimony and identification evidence.

Mitchell has today been jailed for 17 years, and Rice has been jailed for 15 years.

Karen Fairley, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: This was a shocking and violent attack carried out while the victims slept in their own home.

“Brian Mitchell and Kyle Rice showed a complete disregard for human life. They broke into a home, used a weapon and inflicted devastating harm simply to steal property.

“The Crown Prosecution Service built a case of CCTV footage, powerful witness evidence and identification evidence, which left the defendants with no option but to admit their guilt.”