A teenager saved the lives of her five friends when a man held them at knifepoint, tied them up and robbed the house.

The girl even won the respect of the attacker who gave her £20 from his haul, telling her it was for her bravery.

The girl, now 16, was joint winner of the Courageous Child award at The Argus Achievement Awards on Friday after being nominated by police. For legal reasons she cannot be named and details of her bravery could not be revealed until after yesterday's court case.

Michael Seeney was jailed for six years at Lewes Crown Court after a jury heard drink and drugs turned him into a "human timebomb".

Following a row with his girlfriend, Seeney, who had been on a marathon drinking and drugs session, launched an unprovoked attack on a man in the street.

He grabbed Michael Talbot, punched him, dragged him to the ground and kicked him in the face and body, leaving him with a cut nose.

Seeney, 21, ran off and hid under a car until he spotted the five boys and a girl, all aged 15, walk into a nearby house.

Following them inside, he subjected the youngsters to an hour-long ordeal, repeatedly demanding cash and a mobile phone. He told them if he heard sirens he would get "30 junkies round with a needle full of Aids" and get them to inject their arms with it.

When the phone rang, he allowed one of the boys to answer as he held a bread knife to his throat, threatening to kill him if he revealed his presence.

Seeney then frogmarched the teenagers through the house, forcing one boy to rifle through his mother's drawers and jewellery box.

A bag containing £800 and another containing £80 were eventually discovered.

Martin Field, prosecuting, said: "Seeney took it out and kissed it. Then he gave the female £20 and told her it was for being brave."

He bound one boy's hands with cable then tied him to two of the other boys. He ordered the teenagers not to call the police for 20 minutes, then left.

Seeney, formerly of Totland Road, Brighton. pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years for false imprisonment, three years for threats to kill and three years for robbery, all to run concurrently. He was also sentenced to three years for assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent to run consecutively, bringing his total sentence to six years.

The 16-year-old girl was in court yesterday to see Seeney jailed.

Detective Constable Stuart Parsons, of Brighton Police, said: "Throughout this horrifying ordeal this girl remained calm and talked to the offender, keeping him calm and consequently saving her friends from serious injury or potentially a loss of life.

"The description given by her enabled the police to apprehend the offender. Since the crime, she has shown incredible bravery and a maturity beyond her age."

The girl said: "I was quite scared but although I was tied up like my friends, the guy wasn't threatening me.

"In some ways I suppose I had a bit of initiative. I took the phone off the hook because it rung when it all started and I didn't want to startle him again. I told him somebody would be coming to the house very soon. I think my friends were just as brave."

All the teenagers were traumatised and several still receive counselling.

The girl added: "We have all been a bit anxious and wary since it happened and a bit unsure of ourselves.

"I think it is only hitting us now. I find it hard to talk about what happened but I have counselling every week and I'm finding it really helpful."

Her mother said: "My daughter has always been very level-headed and I've always been able to trust her in any situation."

Sentencing Seeney, Judge David Rennie said: "I accept that through drink and drugs he turned himself into a human timebomb but did not set out to target these young people.

"The victims of this mindless violence have all had their lives scarred, either physically, emotionally or psychologically. For them, it can only have been an absolutely terrifying ordeal."

Seeney apologised to his victims and their families.

Rossano Scarmadella, defending, said: " This is an incident that got dreadfully out of control and escalated beyond all comprehension."

He said Seeney had suffered a disrupted childhood, had started smoking cannabis at 11 and been expelled from school in his early teens.

But since going to prison he had shown a good attitude, enrolling in educational courses and taking on responsibilities.