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Two members of an armed gang who raided the homes of wealthy members of Liverpool’s Chinese community were locked up for 25 years.

Jack Hunter and Jamie Ellis were part of a “highly organised” group armed with machetes, knives, meat cleavers and an axe who terrorised ordinary families.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the team stole around £250,000 of jewellery, watches, electrical goods, cash and cars from terrified people, including a heavily pregnant woman, children and the elderly, between November 2013 and March 2014.

David Potter, prosecuting, said: “They burgled with ruthless efficiency and a high level of violence. They were determined to steal property by threatening the occupiers with a variety of fearsome weapons.”

Ellis, 24, and another man called Daniel Challinor, 21, also targeted cash-in-transit vans.

Getaway driver Ellis was involved in a raid at the Showcase cinema in Croxteth and at the McDonalds restaurant at Edge Lane Retail Park, when a security guard had his arm slashed with a machete by a masked man, leaving a 10cm wound.

Challinor took part in a robbery at a Nationwide bank in Old Swan, when £19,000 was taken from a security guard, who was clubbed over the back of his head.

The gang’s mobile phones revealed they carried out reconnaissance missions and were present in the vicinity when crimes took place.

Photos with ill-gotten gains

Thousands of pounds worth of jewellery was stolen and Hunter, 20, took photographs of the haul and of himself posing with machetes.

In some of the burglaries, including a trip to million-pound properties in Worcestershire, expensive cars were stolen, which were used in robberies.

Mr Potter said the gang spent their ill-gotten gains on parties and nights out clubbing and going to concerts.

In one incident at a house in Allerton on February 7, 2014, a man and his heavily pregnant wife were with their toddler daughter and her grandparents when two balaclava-clad men threatened them with knives and a meat cleaver.

The group made off with money, jewellery and Rolex watches.

One violent burglary was carried out at a home in Gardenia Grove, Aigburth, on February 12.

During the raid, five or six masked men burst into a kitchen holding weapons including a sword, axe, screwdriver and a knife.

Death and kidnap threats were made, along with one man threatening to chop off a woman’s arm, before the gang stole her Nissan Qashqai.

The court also heard about an incident in Fairway in Huyton on February 13, when a masked man broke into a home and demanded the keys to an Audi.

He then swung a small axe at a woman who was carrying a baby.

The axe narrowly missed her child and struck a door frame and a man was seen escaping in a stolen Jaguar.

Hunter, 20, originally from Huyton but of no fixed address, admitted conspiracy to commit burglary.

He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary after a trial.

Hunter had 19 previous convictions for 42 offences, including two assaults in 2008.

David Watson, defending Hunter, said he was only 19 at the time of the offences and had a two-year-old child.

He accepted he caused “a high level of psychological trauma” to his victims, but said he did not inflict serious physical harm.

Ellis, 24, of Jeffereys Crescent, Huyton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob and handling stolen goods.

He was in breach of a 20-month suspended sentence imposed in 2013 for producing cannabis.

Gang used variety of lethal weapons

Lianne Birkett, defending, said her client was only a driver for the gang.

She said he was not involved in the violence and apologised to his victims.

Judge Clement Goldstone, QC, said the gang used a variety of “lethal weapons”.

He said Hunter showed no regard for his victims and sentenced him to 16 years in a young offenders institution.

The judge said: “Your only concern was to line your pockets in search of a lifestyle which otherwise you would not have been able to afford. You were motivated by greed and you were prepared to stop at nothing.”

Judge Goldstone jailed Ellis for nine years, including 15 months of his suspended sentence.

He said: “You said in your letter that you did not regard yourself as a career criminal.

“Well for a part-timer you have made a pretty indelible mark on your life and on the lives of your victims, who were utterly terrorised mentally and physically.”

Challinor, 21, of Croxdale Road, Yewtree, admitted conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and burglary, robbery and handling stolen goods.

Challinor’s grandma, Marlene Currie, 67, of Huntsman Wood, West Derby, admitted possessing criminal property, after the court heard she laundered cash at a Gala Bingo through gaming machines.

They will be sentenced on March 26, while another member of the gang, Craig Lister, 34, of no fixed abode, will be sentenced in May.

Liverpool thugs who targeted Chinese community caught after taking boastful 'trophy pictures' on their mobiles