THE FAMILY dog saved a mum and her children from a gang of shotgun-toting robbers.

Joseph Gunning and Farouk Abdul were part of the gang of masked thugs that smashed their way into the family’s home in Blackbird Leys last May.

The 21-year-old robbers, who had travelled up from North London in a dented Ford Focus, mistakenly believed the house in Little Bury to be a drugs den. The four-bedroom house was, in fact, home to a mum and her four children – aged two, six, 11 and 23.

Oxford Crown Court heard how the gang smashed through the front door shortly before 3am on May 13, 2020. The balaclava-wearing group demanded to know where the drugs were being kept, shouting: “Where’s the food, where’s the food?”

Prosecutor Michael Williams said the mum and her eldest son told robbers they had no drugs in the house and there was nothing except a television and a PlayStation games console.

One of the robbers, armed with a knife, ushered another man – carrying what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun – into the house.

The gunman pointed the weapon directly at the mother as two of her children, aged six and 11, stood behind her crying.

Mr Williams said the family dog began barking ferociously’ The mum told the gang it was a ‘pit’ – or a Pitbull terrier – and to get out. “They were forced to leave empty handed,” the prosecutor added.

In a victim personal statement, she said the men’s actions had ‘wrecked a family’. Noises at the door now caused the dog to react, which in turn made the children scream and cry. Writing her statement in March 2021, she said it felt like the robbery was committed ‘only a few weeks ago’.

Sentencing the men to a total of 17-and-a-half years’ imprisonment, Judge Nigel Daly said: “A lady and her children, some of them quite young, were in their house believing themselves to be safe, believing themselves to be protected when you together with others smashed your way into that house.

“Between you, you had with you an imitation firearm – like a shotgun – and at least one knife.

“I’m sure that you appreciate because neither of you are stupid just what effect that would have had on that mother and her young children who were awoken and had to face these men breaking into their house armed with weapons.”

Police were swiftly on the scene but were unable to catch up with the fleeing robbers. A police officer found a black balaclava discarded in Watlington Road, Oxford, on which Abdul’s DNA was found.

In the early hours of May 14, the Ford was found abandoned in a car park after Hertfordshire police officers failed to bring the vehicle to a stop.

Both Abdul and Gunning were arrested later in May and denied involvement in the robbery.

Abdul, of Capel Road, Enfield, and Gunning, of Burghley Road, Waltham Forest, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to commit robbery.

Lucy Tapper, for Abdul, said he had fallen in with the wrong crowd and got involved in dealing drugs. His first child was born last year while he was in custody and he was yet to see the baby. He was remorseful.

Gunning told his victim in a letter read to the court by his barrister, Laura Collier, that he couldn’t express how sorry he was. “I can’t even begin to imagine the trauma that I put you and your family through.”

Both men had previous convictions for supplying drugs and possession of weapons. Gunning was on an 18 month suspended sentence for possession with intent to supply class A drugs when he committed the robbery.

Judge Daly jailed Abdul for eight years. Gunning received nine-and-a-half years’ imprisonment.

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