Two brothers in St Helens were told 'we'll come back and kill you' by a gang of masked men who broke into their home armed with a baseball bat and a knife. Dylan Hardman, 23, was at his flat with his brother Jake when the men broke in on Saturday evening, August 1.
The intruders stole Jake's phone, which was later recovered, along with his bank cards and Dylan's PlayStation. Merseyside Police confirmed receiving a report that three men broke into a flat armed with a baseball bat and knife at around 8.50pm on Saturday.
Dylan describes the terrifying ordeal
Speaking to the ECHO, Dylan said: "I was in my bedroom. I heard a couple of bangs on the door. I took my headset off and my door just came flying off. My brother came out of his room into my room. It was scary. My initial thoughts were to protect my cat but he escaped, so I was glad he got out of the way."
The criminals demanded drugs, which Dylan didn't have, so he "just had to provide them with anything on hand, which was (my PlayStation), phones etc." He believes the robbery may be linked to previous occupants of the flat.
Threats and violence
Dylan said: "They had a full 24-inch wooden baseball bat and (something) like a kitchen knife blade but the handle had been removed and Sellotaped up. I took a couple of swings from that baseball bat. It was pressed against my brother's throat."
The intruders made threats about the property and warned: "If there's any police spotted there or if they find out we're lying, we'll come through the door again. Then after that it was, if I find out you've said anything to the police, then we'll come back and kill you both."
Aftermath and appeal
The burglary lasted between five and 10 minutes. Dylan called the police as soon as the intruders left. He said: "I saw Merseyside Police the same night. They took statements and CSI swept my flat for fingerprints and footprints. I was kind of shaking during (the statement) and afterwards, as (what had happened) set in, getting to sleep at night was a really bad issue."
Dylan is appealing for information, including CCTV footage. A neighbour spotted the burglars leaving in a "white Ford-style car". The brothers have given up their tenancy and are staying at a friend's house. Dylan said: "I just want my PlayStation back."
Police statement
Detective Inspector Ruth Tickle said: "This was a shocking incident in which two people were threatened in their own home by a group of armed males. This would have been extremely traumatic for them. Thankfully, incidents such as this are extremely rare, but we are committed to finding the people responsible and bringing them to justice."
She urged anyone with information or CCTV to come forward, and drivers in the area to review dashcam footage. Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police via social media, the website, or by calling 101 quoting incident reference 26000626395. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
