Burglar jailed for Gerrard home raid
Source: Agencies |
June 8, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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An "extremely violent" burglar who threatened to abduct the children of England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard during a raid on his home was jailed for seven years and four months yesterday.
Martin Wilson, 22, was one of a gang of masked thieves who broke into the footballer's home in Merseyside, northwest England, in December 2007.
Gerrard, 30, was away leading Liverpool to victory in a Champions League game against Marseille.
His wife, Alex Curran, 27, was at the home with their two children, Lilly-Ella and Lexie, now aged 6 and 4, and their nanny, Lyndsey Johnston.
Curran confronted the gang who she discovered walking from her living room, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
She was forced to hand over a silver Rolex watch and was dragged downstairs to a cupboard containing a safe.
One of the gang had threatened Curran: "If you don't tell us where the safe is, we'll take the kids," said prosecuting lawyer Graham Pickavance. Curran was "very frightened," he added.
The gang fled after the nanny managed to phone the police.
Wilson, who pleaded guilty last month, is already serving a six years and eight months term for a string of robberies in northwest England.
He was caught after a mobile phone used in a previous raid was found to have been used near Gerrard's home.
"You are both venal and extremely violent," Judge Robert Warnock told Wilson during sentencing. "You have no regard for the dignity and security that is the right of every householder."
Police said the hunt for other gang members continues.
Martin Wilson, 22, was one of a gang of masked thieves who broke into the footballer's home in Merseyside, northwest England, in December 2007.
Gerrard, 30, was away leading Liverpool to victory in a Champions League game against Marseille.
His wife, Alex Curran, 27, was at the home with their two children, Lilly-Ella and Lexie, now aged 6 and 4, and their nanny, Lyndsey Johnston.
Curran confronted the gang who she discovered walking from her living room, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
She was forced to hand over a silver Rolex watch and was dragged downstairs to a cupboard containing a safe.
One of the gang had threatened Curran: "If you don't tell us where the safe is, we'll take the kids," said prosecuting lawyer Graham Pickavance. Curran was "very frightened," he added.
The gang fled after the nanny managed to phone the police.
Wilson, who pleaded guilty last month, is already serving a six years and eight months term for a string of robberies in northwest England.
He was caught after a mobile phone used in a previous raid was found to have been used near Gerrard's home.
"You are both venal and extremely violent," Judge Robert Warnock told Wilson during sentencing. "You have no regard for the dignity and security that is the right of every householder."
Police said the hunt for other gang members continues.
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