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More than 30 years in jail for armed gang that terrorised Yorkshire family
ARMED burglars fuelled by alcohol and drugs who terrorised a family after bursting into their Yorkshire home demanding cash and valuables were jailed yesterday for a total of 32 years.
Michael Adams and his sisters Sharon and Suzanne were confronted by Shakeel Ahmed Mohammed Shamraiz and Samir Ahmed, armed with guns who smashed their way into their home in Savile Park Road, Halifax, on November 26 last year.
Mr Adams, who was in the kitchen, was ordered to lie on the floor and a gun was pointed at him, Bradford Crown Court heard. While he was kept in the kitchen two of the intruders searched other rooms and his sisters took refuge in an attic bedroom and tried to call police.
"After a few minutes they heard footsteps coming up to the attic and they attempted to get down the side of Suzanne's bed," said Ben Crosland, prosecuting. "Suzanne managed to get under the bed while still speaking to the police."
One of the armed men went into the attic and told the sisters to come out.
They were forced to lie side by side as the intruder demanded money, gold, phones and jewellery.
He eventually took the sisters to another room where they were ordered to stay with a duvet over their heads.
"The man threatened to kill the sisters on several occasions during this episode and perhaps not surprisingly they were terrified," said Mr Crosland, adding that Mr Adams had a gun pressed to his temple as one of the gang demanded his bank card PIN number. After the men left Mr Adams and his sisters barricaded themselves in a bedroom until police arrived.
The next night the gang attacked the home of fire officer John Kennedy a few hundred yards away in Moorlands View.
Mr Kennedy was confronted on his doorstep but managed to lock his door and leave by the back door.
As he watched from a safe distance he saw the intruders loading property from his house into a getaway car and he was able to call police.
Two police officers used their vehicle to block the getaway car even though an armed response unit was on the way. Gang member Samir Ahmed was arrested after a short chase.
The court heard the victims still suffered anxiety and stress as a result of the attacks.
Shakeel Ahmed, 24, of Milton Place, King Cross, Halifax, and Mohammed Shamraiz, 21, and and Samir Ahmed, 28, both of Gladstone Road, King Cross, all pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary on the basis that imitation guns had been used.
Judge Robert Bartfield branded them "brazen and arrogant" and said it was clear they had an unhealthy interest in guns.
"It's plain that you were doing this, as one of you put it, in effect for the kicks. For the thrill of it."
Samir Ahmed and Shakeel Ahmed were each jailed for 11 years and Shamraiz for 10.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
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