£14,000 reward to find armed Pattingham raid gang
A businessman this afternoon offered a £14,000 reward to find the armed gang responsible for a terrifying raid on the luxury Pattingham home he shares with his fiancee – as he revealed the attack had "destroyed" their lives.
A businessman this afternoon offered a £14,000 reward to find the armed gang responsible for a terrifying raid on the luxury Pattingham home he shares with his fiancee – as he revealed the attack had "destroyed" their lives.
Richard Barnfather and Debbie Leadbetter were beaten up, hit with a pistol and bound during the harrowing 20-minute ordeal.
In a press conference this afternoon, Mr Barnfather – boss of Darlaston-based Barnfather Wire – pleaded for help catch the attackers.
The gang that struck the large converted barn at Lower Rudge, near Pattingham, around 10pm on March 9 escaped with three of the couple's cars – an Aston Martin, a Range Rover and a soft-top Mercedes – all of which were recovered by police soon afterwards.
The masked gang also stole £50,000 worth of jewellery that included the £25,000 engagement ring 48-year-old Mr Barnfather had given Miss Leadbetter, 37, a year ago.
He said this afternoon : "It was a terrifying ordeal during which we feared for our life and were aware that it could all go wrong at any moment. It has destroyed Debs."
He personally offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible and his insurance company has added a further £4,000. The couple had only moved into their dream home, worth more than £1 million and set in 10 acres, last June.
He described the terrifying ordeal. He recalled: "We were just getting ready for bed when our dog started barking. I thought he'd seen a badger or something. We went outside and he ran round the corner barking. I followed and was confronted by two masked men, one with a gun, then the third appeared."
Debbie dashed back into the house and locked the door while she tried to ring the police but the raiders smashed the windows to follow her inside. Mr Barnfather continued: "They demanded my watch, cash and the keys to all the vehicles.
"Then they started turning out all the drawers, manhandling Debs and I was punched and hit on the head with the pistol. Our hands and legs were tied. The gang were very strong and abusive." The raiders drove off but returned to attack them again when the automatic gates locked.
The men eventually got away and Mr Barnfather and his partner raised the alarm. The stolen cars were found in Smethwick, Tipton and Wolverhampton.
