Woman's life 'flashed before eyes' after confronting masked gunman who entered her Newcastle home

The victim had been upstairs getting ready to go out for dinner with her partner when they heard a sound from the front door that they thought was probably a family member coming in.

But Newcastle Crown Court heard when she got downstairs she was confronted by armed strangers Craig Irving and Clark Morrison, who were wearing balaclavas and carrying what she believed was a double barrel shotgun and a sword.

The terrifying two-minute confrontation came to a sudden end when the men were told that the person they were most likely looking for no longer lived at the house in Forrest Hall, Newcastle.

They said that person they were after "owed a lot of people a lot of money" before they left in a getaway car driven by Bradley Burrows.

Judge Amanda Rippon said "it must have been the longest couple of minutes of their lives" and added: "I can't begin to comprehend how terrifying it must have been".

Prosecutor Nicholas Lane said the woman feared she was going to die when she first got down the stairs and told the court: "She opened the internal hallway door and she was to tell the police the first thing she noticed was what she believed to be a gun.

"She describes seeing a barrel protruding from a plastic bag.

"She said she immediately felt fear and she believed she was about to die and her life flashed before her eyes.

"There were two males in the sitting room. Irving appeared to be holding a large gun and Morrison was armed with a knife and to her it had the appearance of a sword.

"Both males had disguised their appearance by wearing face masks and both males were screaming at her, making repeated demands for money.

"She somehow came to find herself lying on her back against the stairs with both males standing over her, shouting at her and brandishing the weapons.

"Realising now something was going on, her partner went downstairs and found her lying at the bottom of the stairs. He immediately recognised what appared to be a gun being brandished.

"He realised this might have been linked to his son, who he had asked to move out of the house just days before. He told the males he had kicked his son out.

"At this, the atmosphere changed."

The court heard the men said the son "owed a lot of people a lot of money" before they left in a getaway car driven by Burrows, who was using his mum's blue Ford vehicle with the rear number plate removed.

The gun was later confirmed to be imitation and the knife was believed to be a machete.

The court heard the couple have now invested in security systems but the woman has been left with flashbacks and fear.

Irving, 44, of Midway, Walker, Newcastle, who has 79 offences on his record, admitted having an imitation firearm and has been jailed for three years and 11 months.

Glenn Gatland, defending, said Irving had relapsed onto heroin after family tragedies and had lost his job at the time but added: "He expresses real remorse for what has occurred.

"They were able to tell them they were not there for them, they were there for someone else. The atmosphere changed dramatically once they realised that the person they were looking for wasn't present.

"He's thoroughly ashamed."

Morrison, 20, of McIlvenna Gardens, Wallsend, who has three offences on his record, admitted having an imitation firearm and threatening another with a bladed article. He has been jailed for two years and ten months.

Ian Cook, defending, said Morrison, who has prospects and intelligence, has penned a letter to the victims to apologise for what happened and added: "He didn't give them much thought at the time he committed these offences but has done since. He has expressed remorse for his actions and for the impact it has had upon them.

"It is conceded this must have been terrifying sight to have arrived on their doorstep."

Burrows, 21, of Cedarwood Avenue, Newcastle, who has never been in trouble before, admitted assisting an offender and got 18 months, suspended for two years with rehabilitation requirements and 100 hours unpaid work.

Claire Anderson, defending, said Burrows has family support, is on an apprenticeship and added that his offending was not sophisticated.

Miss Anderson said: "He used his mother's car which was registered at their home address.

"He rather naively didn't ask any questions, acted without thinking about what he was doing or the consequences that would follow as a result of it but will bear the consequences for the rest of his life."