A dangerous robber hit a man with a sledgehammer in his home and stole his Range Rover.

Tyler Corteggio also wore a mask and pointed a fake gun at a woman to steal an e-bike from her home.

Last July 14, a resident in Seaford woke up at 3am to find Corteggio inside their home demanding keys to take a Range Rover on the driveway.

During the incident, the victim noticed that Corteggio had a sledgehammer and an axe.

The 27-year-old struck the man on his arm with the sledgehammer.

Earlier that month, Corteggio, formerly a bar worker, had entered the woman’s home in Brighton where she lived with her partner in broad daylight.

At 1.45pm on July 4 last year her partner noticed an external door was ajar, then felt a tap on the back of his head.

The Argus: Tyler Corteggio hit a man with a sledgehammer and stole his Range RoverTyler Corteggio hit a man with a sledgehammer and stole his Range Rover (Image: Sussex Police)

He turned around to see Corteggio, who was wearing a mask over his face, pointing an imitation firearm at him.

Corteggio, of Arnold Street, Brighton, ordered the man to find an electric bicycle, and also pointed the imitation firearm at a woman in the property.

He took the e-bike and left the area, leaving his victims shaken by the incident.

After the Seaford robbery, officers from Sussex Police’s tactical firearms unit (TFU) tracked the car to the address in Brighton.

At the scene a stolen BMW motor vehicle was also identified where Corteggio had left a wallet with personal documents inside.

TFU officers patrolled the area and found him hiding nearby.

He was arrested and the investigation revealed how Corteggio had shown the imitation firearm to an acquaintance, telling them that it was both real and that he was “not messing about any more”.

Following the investigation by Eastbourne and Brighton CID, he appeared in court and was convicted.

Corteggio admitted two counts of robbery, two counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of immediate and unlawful violence, and one count of taking a motor vehicle without consent.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for robbery at Lewes Crown Court on March 28.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Ashford said: “Corteggio carried out two robberies which were distressing for the victims.

“We are grateful to them for helping the investigation and providing detailed descriptions.

“TFU officers were able to detain Corteggio and CID detectives and investigation staff ensured Corteggio had no choice but to plead guilty in court when presented with the evidence of what he had done.

“We are pleased that a dangerous offender is behind bars.”