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Home Canterbury News Article
A traumatised mother has relived the moment she feared for her life when a hammer-wielding gang burst into her home and threatened to kill her.
Toni King has spoken for the first time about her terrifying ordeal after the three men responsible were jailed for a total of 30 years.
The mother-of-three said the raid has crushed her confidence and left her scared of being home alone in Aylesham.
Recalling the day of the robbery on January 29, the 38-year-old said she felt unwell so decided to stay at home from her job working on a burger van she runs with her 44-year-old husband Brian.
At about 2pm, she spotted three men walking past her living room window - but when she opened her front door to investigate they pushed their way in.
CCTV footage shows the trio barging into her home - before grabbing Mrs King by the throat.
She said: "They demanded to know where the safe was. I was terrified. I really thought they would hit me with the hammer."
The trio eventually escaped with £1,500 and irreplaceable jewellery belonging to her late father, which was never recovered.
Mrs King said: "That's the worst part. I don't mind about the money, but the jewellery was supposed to go to my children when they’re older.
"It had huge sentimental value. Apparently, it went straight to a pawn shop."
But her ordeal did not end with the thugs' arrest.
Since the attack, Mrs King has been haunted by nightmares and flashbacks.
Her confidence is crushed to such an extent that she avoids going out or being left home alone.
She added: "I have nightmares every night. It's affected me really badly. I can't be left in the house alone and I can't answer the door at all. When my husband goes out I stay upstairs in my bedroom."
Video: CCTV shows the moment raiders struck Toni King's home
Speaking of her attackers, Mrs King said: "I really hate them for what they've done to me. They said it was because they had a bad upbringing, but so have lots of people."
Mrs King said it was sheer chance her children, aged 15, 18, and 21 - one of whom has learning difficulties - were not home at the time of the robbery.
When the case came to court, the prosecution was aided by evidence taken from CCTV cameras, which were installed at Mrs King's home just two weeks before the robbery.
But while two of the culprits admitted their crimes straight away, Jeremy Waller continued to maintain his innocence - subjecting Mrs King to the further ordeal of facing him in court.
She said: "It was awful. I felt sick every time I thought about the case. When I got to court, I really didn't think I was going to be able to do it. It was horrible seeing him again."
Just days after Mrs King gave evidence, Waller changed his plea to guilty.
Referring to their sentence, she said: "I'm happy about how long they got. They definitely deserve it. They put me and my family through so much. I'm still suffering, but it's a relief to know they're locked up."
Mrs King was also full of praise for the police's efforts - and how quickly the case was brought to court.
The terrifying robbery was part of a two-day crime spree in Aylesham, Maidstone, Cranbrook and Folkestone.
After viewing CCTV footage of the robbery at Mrs King's home, detectives identified the suspects as Jeremy Waller, 29, of Arundel Square, Maidstone; George Dunn, 30, of Cranham Square, Marden; and homeless 28-year-old Anthony Wood.
When officers searched Wood's then home they seized identical clothing to that seen in the footage and a black woolly hat with two eye holes cut out.
Wood was arrested when he returned home during the search and a watch belonging to Mrs King was found in the car he had been dropped off in.
Following Waller's arrest, text messages were found on his phone that read: "I just got a safe full of gold" and "I got a big load of cash baby".
All three were charged on March 12 and Wood and Dunn pleaded guilty to the robbery in Aylesham.
Waller was ultimately found guilty of two burglaries, two robberies, two counts of taking a vehicle without consent and one of escaping from arresting officers.
Waller was sentenced to 16 years in prison, while Dunn was jailed for eight years and Wood six years.
Speaking after the sentence, DC Andrew Julier said: "This case involved four quick-fire crimes, committed within two days, with the robbery involving particularly nasty violence against an innocent woman and at one point the offenders threatened to kill her.
"Dunn and Wood pleaded guilty to the offences but Waller opted for a trial, and was found guilty by a jury.
"Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own homes and hopefully all the victims in this case feel safer knowing that the offenders will be in prison for a long time."
