A vulnerable mum was left terrified in her own home when an armed gang burst in demanded money from her teenage son.
The woman, who has a hearing impairment and relies on lipreading, had just returned from the shop when she was suddenly confronted by three men in her home, one armed with a claw hammer. A court heard they stole jewellery from her son after ransacking his room and made threats.
The aggravated burglary happened at a ground floor flat on Landsdowne Road, Forest Hall, North Tyneside, around 8pm on December 30 last year, where the woman lives with her 18-year-old son. Now Lewis Knowles and Dominic McDonald have each been jailed for seven years.
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Andrew Walker, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "She went into the kitchen with some bags and turned around and was suddenly aware of three men in her hallway. Before that, CCTV from a neighbouring property captured a vehicle with four men in it driving slowly around the street before parking and waiting.
"Three men, of which these two defendants were two, left the car and approached the home. They were not invited and one was masked and one had a weapon. It was very clear they were there to threaten and intimidate."
The court heard the intruders went to the son's bedroom. Knowles started going through his possessions and stealing items, leaving a mess during the ransacking.
McDonald was standing on the son's bed shouting and jumping and said the son owned £1,000. The mum, who could read his lips, said she would pay the money but her son said he didn't owe them anything. McDonald said they would keep coming back if they weren't paid.
The pair, along with a third man who appeared to have been a lookout, then left. They had stolen items, including jewellery, from the son.
In a victim impact statement, the mum said she was left traumatised and had to have help from a mental health nurse as it made her depression worse. They now always check doors and windows are locked and she said she "sometimes feels like a prisoner in her own home" and struggles to sleep, suffering flashbacks and bad dreams. She added that she's worried about her son's safety and concerned that they know where they live.
Sentencing them, Recorder Toby Hedworth QC said: "Whatever the background, and it's quite obvious the background is drug dealing, whether you are customers or whatever, there was a demand being made by threats with a claw hammer for £1,000. Whatever activities her son was involved in with you as a business matter, she plainly found this a terrifying experience."
When police later went to a property to arrest the pair, there was a lengthy stand-off. McDonald was heard shouting for someone to get a gun and started throwing items downstairs in an apparent attempt to block the door.
A hole then began appearing in the roof and McDonald's head popped out. Tiles and bricks were then thrown at police and Knowles joined in during a stand-off which lasted several hours and police negotiators were called.
Knowles, 19, of Lindsay Avenue, Blyth,and McDonald, 21, of Woodhorn Road, Ashington, both pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, affray and criminal damage. Knowles also admitted separate charges of possessing a knife, driving without due care and attention, having no licence and no insurance.
Knowles, who has seven previous convictions and McDonald, who has 58 previous convictions, were each locked up for seven years and given restraining orders.
Richard Bloomfield, for Knowles, said he takes responsibility for the home raid and has expressed remorse for it. Ian Hudson, for McDonald, said he has learning disabilities.
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