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CAGED FOR 53 YEARS

Violent gang who pointed a gun at the heads of a four-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy during raid on family home

Mum Maria Dine left traumatised as armed intruders threatened her son and daughter in terrifying ordeal

A VIOLENT gang of armed robbers who pointing a gun at the heads of a four-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy during a botched raid on a family home have been jailed for more than 53 years.

Maria Dine, 30, was at her home with her young children and a friend when masked thugs kicked down the front door and burst in.

Richard Bailey
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Richard Bailey, 27, was jailed for 13 and a half years for a violent armed robbery on a family homeCredit: Solent News
Faz'Ain Hussain
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Faz'Ain Hussain, 23, pointed a gun at a young boy's head during the terrifying raidCredit: Solent News

Richard Bailey, Abner Emedeme, Faz'Ain Hussain and a fourth man who has not been caught planned on robbing Ms Dine's partner Jay Page.

But he was not in - so the robbers demanded the family tell them where cash or drugs were in the house.

Terrified Ms Dine begged the intruders not to kill her 12-year-old son and four-year-old daughter as she stood between them and gunman Hussain at her home in Portmouth, Hants.

While the fourth man ransacked the house, Hussain - who was on bail for illegal possession of a sawn-off shotgun at the time of the raid - threatened the family with a pistol.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard when the young boy fled downstairs he was grabbed by two of the men and Hussain pointed the gun at his head.

The gun was also pointed at the young girl's head during the attack on April 13 last year, said prosecutor Nick Tucker.

He added Ms Dine has been so traumatised by the ordeal she cannot sleep at night and even tried to take her own life.

Abner Emedeme
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Abner Emedeme, 22, was jailed for 11 years and eight months for his part in the robberyCredit: Solent News

Mr Tucker said: "Since the incident her children have nightmares.

"Ms Dine thinks about the sound of her little girl's voice at that time and her face having a gun pointed at it."

The mum said in a victim impact statement read in court: "I constantly check my doors and windows are locked because I feel frightened.

"Never before in my life have I felt this scared. I think about it all the time.

"If I hear a noise I jump out of my skin, I pace all night and don't got to sleep. My hair has been falling out and I've been wetting the bed.

"My kids were taken away from me and I lost my home. Because of this I tried to take my own life."

Ms Dine's friend Kerry Aldred, 36, was also traumatised by the attack, the court heard.

Sentencing judge Sarah Munro QC said: "These innocent women will be scarred for life by what you did.

"Both ladies have been prescribed medication and they remain terrified they will be attacked again.
"They will never get over this terrifying experience."

The gang fled to a waiting taxi, which contained two other gang members - Draid Nurse and Ryan Orme.

Innocent taxi driver Naveed Anjum was forced to drive the six-seater Ford Galaxy to a pub in Portsmouth before he could call police.

The court heard the gang members had a string of convictions for crimes ranging from theft, drug possession, drug dealing, firearm offences and assault.

Ryan Orme
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Gang member Ryan Orme, 19, was also jailed over the attack in which two young children had a gun pointed at their headsCredit: Solent News
Draid Nurse
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A judge said the mum and her friend were traumatised by the gang, including Draid Nurse, 21Credit: Solent News

Bailey, 27, was on licence at the time after being jailed in April 2014 for 32 weeks for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was jailed for 13 and a half years.

Hussain, 23, was on bail for a firearm offence for which he was later jailed for six years. He was sentenced to 11 years for the robbery, to run concurrently.

Emedeme, 22,  was jailed for 11 years and eight months after admitting conspiracy to rob.

Nurse, 21, and Orme, 19, were sentenced to ten years and seven years respectively after being convicted of conspiracy to rob.

Detective Constable Mark Edis of Hampshire police said after sentencing: "This was a despicable premeditated crime which was carried out with no regard to the fact that two young children were present.

"This was a terrifying incident for all those involved and they have shown immense bravery throughout this investigation, helping us to ensure these dangerous men are no longer on our streets."


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