Mum feared armed robbers were going to rape her during terrifying £100k raid

A bride-to-be has described the horrifying moment she feared two armed robbers were going to rape her in front of her young children as they stole £100,000 worth of jewellery during a terrifying raid.

Stacey Tomlinson, 35, was duped into opening the front door of her £1million Bolton home to the thieves when they turned up shortly after 9am on November 22 last year claiming her partner had hired them to do some guttering work.

They forced their way inside and grabbed Stacey by the neck before marching her into the living room at gunpoint and ordering her onto the sofa.

She told the Manchester Evening News: ‘One guy had me downstairs and the other was upstairs, I thought, ‘What else do they want me for?’ All I thought was I was going to get raped.

‘I sent my daughter into the bedroom; she was a month away from being four and I didn’t want her to see it.

‘I just didn’t want her to see the absolute terror I was going to endure. I asked her to play in her room.’

The men ransacked the house stealing more than £100,000 worth of goods – including her £45,000 engagement ring.

Stacey said the ordeal has left her family so traumatised, they have all slept in the same room since November in fear thieves will strike again.

She said: ‘I feel broken and unsafe in my own home.

‘As much as I’m cracking on, I don’t think it will ever really leave me. I panic in every situation.’

Peter Paradi, 44, was jailed for 15 years after admitting robbery as well as 11 counts of burglary, three of attempted burglary and making off without payment.

Bolton Crown Court heard Paradi had a waged a ‘campaign of burglary’ against wealthy victims between September and October last year whom he believed kept expensive jewellery in their homes.

The Hungarian national will be deported after serving his sentence. The second man is still at large.

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