Yorkshire dad and son hit with axe during raid - before attackers crashed into house fleeing police

James Varey, 86, was struck with a claw hammer as one of the attackers threatened to cut his hand off unless he handed over rings from his fingers.

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Son Francis, 51, was hit with an axe as the masked men took a gold chain worth £8,000 from around his neck.

The gang also stole a handbag which belonged to Mr Varey senior's late wife Jane, containing 300 sentimental family photographs.

The bag was dumped in the snow a few hundred yards from their home in Tingley, Leeds, destroying most of the photographs.

Today Gary O'Neil, Terence Honey and Paul Cameron were locked up for more than 40 years over the incident, which happened on January 20 this year.

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Leeds Crown Court heard the three men were caught hours later when their getaway car crashed into the wall of a house on Flaxton Gardens, Beeston, during a police chase.

They were all injured in the collision and had to be cut free from the wreckage by emergency services

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Some of the jewellery from the raid was still in the vehicle.

Medical staff found O'Neil in possession of one of the rings when he was treated in hospital.

A court heard O'Neil and Honey were also responsible for a robbery at the Kasa off-licence, Dewsbury Road, Beeston, on the morning of December 17 last year.

The pair and another unidentified man entered the store just before 7.30am carrying weapons including a sledge hammer, a wrench and a knife.

A female member of staff was threatened before being ordered to hand over £1,700 from a safe and a till. Cigarettes and bottles of alcohol were also taken.

The victim had a knife blade held against her leg at the time.