Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Burglar Jailed After Gerrard Kidnap Threat

A burglar who threatened to kidnap Steven Gerrard's children has been jailed for seven years and four months.

Martin Wilson, 22, was one of a gang of masked thieves who forced their way into the England and Liverpool captain's mansion.

The men confronted the player’s wife, Alex Curran, demanding she hand over jewellery and the contents of a safe or else they would "take her kids", Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Wilson, of Hollowcroft, Stockbridge village, Merseyside, pleaded guilty to the burglary last month.

Sentencing him, Judge Robert Warnock said: "You are both venal and extremely violent. You have no regard for the dignity and security that is the right of every householder."

The judge said Gerrard and his wife's victim impact statements, which were not read out in court, described their continuing "shock and fright" at their ordeal.

The robbery took place on December 11 2007 as Gerrard, 30, led Liverpool to victory in a Champions League game against Marseille.

Ms. Curran, 27, was at home in Formby, Merseyside, with their two children, Lilly-Ella and Lexie, now aged six and four, and their nanny, Lyndsey Johnston.

Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, said the two women and the children were in their bedrooms when, at about 9.30pm, a loud smash was heard from downstairs.

Seeing a group of men walking out of her living room, Ms. Curran shouted at them to leave, the barrister said, but the thieves raced up the stairs and grabbed the women.

One of them put his face right up to Ms Curran's and said "Where's the f****** safe?" and "Where's the f****** jewellery?", the court heard.

When Ms. Curran told the men there was no safe and jewellery was not kept at the house, one man ordered another to "Get the blade out of the car", while someone else told her: "If you don't tell us where the safe is, we'll take the kids."

The men shortly began to ransack the house, allowing Miss Johnston to pick up a telephone and call the police, after which the gang fled the scene.

Wilson is already serving six years and eight months in jail after admitting conspiracy to burgle at the same court last June.

His previous conviction relates to a string of robberies in the North West which involved raids on the homes of up to 16 wealthy families.

Detectives investigating the Gerrard raid caught Wilson because a mobile phone he used during one of the earlier robberies was also used close to the Gerrard mansion on the night in question, technical evidence showed.

His latest sentence will run concurrently and is expected to add another two years to his total time in prison, he was told.

Police are still hunting the other men who were involved in the raid.

Gerrard is currently in South Africa for the World Cup and his wife did not attend court.

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