A robber who posed as a government official to gain entry to an elderly couple’s home has been jailed for eight years and three months.
Johnny Boy Doherty, 26, was sentenced for his role in a robbery at a home in Woodford Green in January.
He and two other men forced their way inside after the homeowner, a man in his 80s, asked to see their credentials.
The men, wearing face coverings, claimed to be armed and threatened to use weapons if the couple did not comply. They demanded money and began searching the property.
One of the men went upstairs and confronted the victim’s wife, who is in her 70s, again demanding money. After ransacking the room, they found a bag containing a large sum of cash.
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Det Con Alexander Cove, from Loughton CID, said: "This was a frightening experience for the couple and was exacerbated by the fact that it happened in their own home.
"Doherty and his accomplices initially tried to trick the victim, before using violence to force their way into their home and searching for cash and jewellery."
The robbers made off with jewellery, a phone, a bank card, and other valuables, totalling an estimated £100,000.
In the days prior to the robbery, the female victim told police she had sold some family jewellery for cash. Essex Police launched an investigation and identified that the gang had used a car stolen from the Metropolitan Police area.
Working in partnership, officers from both forces gathered intelligence and arrested Doherty in Hayes in April. He refused to answer questions during interview but later pleaded guilty.
Det Con Cove said: "This couple’s home was clearly targeted by Doherty and his accomplices.
"Using CCTV and other tactics we worked closely with our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police to locate him and ensure he was arrested, charged and brought before the courts.
"Let us be clear, anyone who comes to Essex to commit crime will be fully investigated and we will work hard to ensure they face justice."
Doherty, of High Street, Feltham, was convicted of a single count of robbery and has been given a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victims. Enquiries to identify and locate the other suspects remain ongoing.
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