A GANG of career criminals terrorised people in their own homes by breaking in and threatening to kill them before escaping with low-value items and cash.

In one instance a vulnerable man’s phone line was cut by the thugs so he would be unable to call for help as they threatened to slit his throat.

The burglary and robbery spree undertaken by Jamie Lonsdale, Mark Swain and James ‘Bronco’ Doherty took place in April 2019 in Accrington.

The trio have now been jailed for a total of more than 30 years after Swain and Lonsdale were deemed to be dangerous offenders.

Prosecutor Martin Callery told Burnley Crown Court the first crime involved a man who lived in the Balmoral Road area of the town.

Doherty had previously met the man and so it was no shock when he turned up at the front door of the address with Lonsdale, asking to be invited in.

Once inside the pair asked for a can of Guinness each before Lonsdale went upstairs, finding and stealing the man’s collection of 50 pence pieces and some cash. When the man mentioned to Doherty that his carer would be arriving soon, the pair left and shortly after the police were called.

However, that was not the end of the man’s ordeal.

Mr Callery said: “The following day, Lonsdale and Swain returned to the address, forced entry by smashing the window of the back door. They then cut the telephone wire preventing any contact with the police and threatened the man. They threatened to slit his throat and again stole money and property.”

On April 16, four days later, another burglary took place, carried out again by Swain and Lonsdale.

A woman was alerted to the men after she heard noise coming from downstairs. She confronted them, shouting at them to leave her home – which they did.

However as the panicked woman called her mother to tell her what had happened, they returned and brandished a knife at her, which they had previously take from the drawer in her kitchen.

As she pointed them towards some loose change on the counter, she fled the property.

Just a matter of hours after this incident and the two men had made their way to Royds Street where they embarked on another robbery.

At around 2am the occupier of the home became aware of Swain and Lonsdale when he heard a loud bang coming from outside.

Mr Callery said: “When he went outside to check that the gate was shut, he was immediately confronted by the two defendants.

“Swain assaulted him and dragged him into the house. The dog was getting aggressive and the two men threatened to kill it. While their attention was diverted by the dog the occupier was able to shout upstairs to his partner to call the police at which point the two men ran off.”

The court heard how during the assault the man became stuck underneath his front gate, which had been taken off its hinges, after he had been hit over the head with a piece of wood.

A couple of hours later at just after 4am, plain-clothed officers were patrolling the area due to the spate of incidents when they became concerned after seeing some lights on in a property.

They called for back-up before entering the address where they found and arrested the two men.

The three men involved are life-long criminals, with Doherty, 60, having 56 convictions for 106 offences. Lonsdale, 46, had 30 court appearances for 90 offences while Swain, 42, had 42 convictions for 126 offences.

All three were awarded credit for pleading guilty before the case went to trial.

Jailing them, Judge David Potter said: “People have a right to feel safe in their own homes. Time and again these courts hear harrowing accounts how the safety and security of people in their own homes has been shattered.

“People, some of whom may already be vulnerable, simply can’t cope with living independently.

"Such is the trauma that people often feel compelled to move out of homes they may have lived in for many years."

“Valuables, often of limited to value to a crack addict who sells them for scrap to buy a tenner bag of crack, are frequently of huge sentimental value to the loser, simply irreplaceable.

“More serious still is the burglary of a house when the occupier is present. It is every householder’s nightmare to be confronted in their own home.

“That fear is made more pressing when people hear about what can happen when burglars confront their victims, as has happened in this case – violence, often with weapons either used or threatened.”

Lonsdale, of no fixed address, received a total sentence of 13 years and 10 months – 9 years and 10 months custodial with a further 4 on licence - for offences of robbery and burglary.

Swain, of Wensley Road, Blackburn, was jailed for 13 years and 4 months – 9 years and 4 months in custody with a further 4 on licence - for offences of robbery and burglary.

Doherty of Moorfield Drive, Accrington, was jailed for three years for his involvement in the first offence.