Three Oxford women have been jailed for terrorising a suspected love rival during a drug-crazed New Year's Day burglary.

Catherine Gray, 22, Emma Mainland, 21, and Natalie Hoareau, 20, forced their way into Lisa McBain's flat at Pennywell Drive, in Cutteslowe, Oxford.

Hoareau was jealous because her boyfriend Michael Ackuaku's car had been seen parked outside the flat last New Year's Eve, Oxford Crown Court heard.

She took her friends round to confront Ms McBain.

The trio got Ms McBain out of bed. She was struck on the head with an ornament and threatened repeatedly with a 10-inch knife.

Gray told her: "You can't keep stealing other people's men like that.

After cowing her into submission, they loaded stereo equipment and other possessions into a car and drove Ms McBain to two cashpoints in Cowley where Gray forced her to reveal her pin number. A total of £80 in cash was stolen. The women then went to a house in Blackbird Leys where Gray and Hoareau smoked crack cocaine.

Miss McBain was finally returned to her flat after an ordeal lasting about four hours.

Gray, of Southfield Road, Oxford, and Mainland and Hoareau, both of Green Road, Oxford, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary. Gray also admitted theft. All three pleaded not guilty to a kidnap charge, which was allowed to lie on the court file.

Tony McGeorge, defending Gray, said she had been influenced by drugs.

The court was told Mainland had behaved "completely out of character" and felt ashamed while Hoareau's judgement had been "clouded by her affection for Mr Ackuaku". Jailing Gray for three years for aggravated burglary and one year concurrent for theft, Judge Anthony King told her she was clearly the most seriously involved. The other two played a lesser role, he said.

Mainland was jailed for 15 months and Hoareau for eight months.