Life sentence for armed kidnappers

Members of a gang who tied up and held a mother and daughter at gunpoint when a row over another child spiralled out of control have been jailed.

Jo Mooney watched in horror as a balaclava-clad gunman grabbed her seven-year-old daughter Kia and shouted: "We're professional hitmen, we'll kill you if necessary."

During their hour-long kidnap ordeal, the petrified pair had their hands bound before being left helpless when the burglars fled.

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This week, the two main players, Carl Elliott, of Woodland Vale Road, St Leonards, and gunman Michael Saldana, 27, of Godwin Road, Hastings, were jailed for life after admitting conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

Lewes Crown Court heard Elliott, 40, masterminded the plot in a 'warped sort of loyalty' to his partner Tracey Walsh, who has a seven-year-old son with Miss Mooney's partner Simon Angus and feared he would be taken out of Britain.

He warned Mr Angus he would 'fight fire with fire' before hatching a plan to burgle his large detached house in Ninfield Road, Bexhill, to steal documents relating to the boy.

But after the first break-in, the feud took a sinister twist and two days later the gang returned armed with an arsenal of weapons.

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Saldana, described by Judge Anthony Niblett as a 'cold-blooded, ruthless and dangerous man' was told he must serve a minimum of 20 years behind bars.

Carl Elliott was ordered to serve at least 10 years.

Allee Elliott, 37, of Pevensey Road, St Leonards - who is no relation to Carl Elliott - was convicted of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and jailed for nine years.

Dean Grier, 20, of Nelson Road, Hastings, was jailed for three years after admitting conspiracy to burgle. He was only involved in the first break-in.

The gang, whose weapons included machetes, stole money, credit cards for which they demanded to know the pin numbers, and papers relating to the boy.

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The victims - who also included Jason Howard, an employee of Mr Angus' limousine company - were all tied with black tape and cable ties but managed to free themselves using scissors.

Before leaving the house, the gang had disabled the phones but accidentally missed one, so the victims were able to dial 999.

Jailing them, Judge Niblett said: "Mrs Mooney and Kia were effectively kidnapped and subjected to a terrifying ordeal.

"It is all too clear the trauma she and her daughter suffered. Mr Howard also suffered a terrifying ordeal.

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"Each offence was carefully planned and executed, the warped motive being an argument over access to a child.

"I cannot even begin to guess how that can lead to the wickedness which was responsible for these offences."

The other gang members, Luke Willis, 17, of Hastings, Javier Farrell, 21, of Eastbourne, Daniel Doran, 20, of no fixed abode, and James Cole, 22, of Bexhill, will be sentenced next month.

Speaking after the case, Miss Mooney said: "We all expected to die, we thought that was it.

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"I'm happy with the result but what ever sentence they get can't touch the life sentence we've been given.

"They may not have physically hurt us but it was the mental abuse that doesn't leave us. Time will tell what this has done to my daughter."

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