EXCLUSIVE: Family speaks of nightmare at hands of raiders who dragged mother from bed at knifepoint

The Perkins family spoke out after receiving letters from the National Probation Service detailing how one of the attackers has been moved to an open prison and others lined up for early release.

"This system is only here for offenders, it's not for the victims," said Delia Perkins, whose Penkridge home was raided by four masked men who held a knife to her throat and demanded she empty their safe.

Now, her youngest son, George, 14, is so terrified he has had his bedroom door blocked up and 47-year-old Mrs Perkins will not stay in the house alone.

The family were targeted at their Stafford Road home after they went to bed on the evening of May 18, 2013. Father Michael, a 52-year-old businessman, was in Spain at the time.

Mrs Perkins, who works in the healthcare industry, said: "Mike went away on a rugby tour, I was here with the boys, it was a normal day, nothing of note. We went to bed about 11pm and at about 3.20am I heard a noise and with that someone walked into my bedroom which I thought was Harry - it was a man all in black followed by three other men.

"I screamed and they just said that they had come for our safe and that if I didn't scream that they wouldn't hurt the children."

Mrs Perkins was forced to open the safe while a knife was held to her throat. Her sons were woken by the disturbance and went to their mother's aid.

The brave youngsters both fought back, with 17-year-old Harry striking one of the gang with a baseball bat. George was kicked to the floor and received a black eye.

Their bravery led to them being awarded the Chief Constable's Certificate of Commendation from Staffordshire Police earlier this year.

But Mrs Perkins said the burglary has had a tremendous impact on the family.

Mrs Perkins said of her youngest son: "He hasn't got a bedroom door anymore, he has a secret door from our dressing room.

"It's been a tremendously difficult two years, we have had to make massive changes.

"Up until they were sentenced, I wouldn't be in this house on my own and only once they had been sentenced would I stay here with the boys, but I never will stay in the house on my own again.

"If the boys aren't there I have to go to someone else's house."

On February 6, 2015, five people were sentenced to a total of 37 years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in connection with the crime.

Leon Gordon, 33, formerly of Heathfield Lane, Darlaston; Matthew Bristow, 28, also formerly of Heathfield Lane, Darlaston; and Marcus Davies, 35, of St James Road, Leicester, received 11 years each having been found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary and robbery.

Scott Ball, 41, of Norton Green Lane, Norton Canes, received three years for conspiracy to commit burglary. And Christie Phillips, 20, formerly of Heathfield Lane, Darlaston, was convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary and jailed for one year.

But now, Mr and Mrs Perkins have been informed by the justice system that Ball and Phillips could be released early on licence. A letter to the family from the National Probation Service on April 29 states that Ball has also been moved to an open prison.

"Public protection is our priority. Only prisoners who pass a strict risk assessment can be released on home detention curfew.

"Offenders are subject to strict licence conditions and can be recalled to prison if they breach them."

"Some prisoners can be considered for Home Detention Curfew (HDC) if they are serving a sentence of more than three months and less than four years and have served a quarter of their sentence.

"No prisoner can be placed on HDC for longer than 4.5 months

"If the prisoner breaks their curfew, the electronic tag will alert the contractors and the prisoner may be recalled to prison where they will stay until their automatic release date.

"If they are recalled for breaching the HDC curfew conditions, they will not be released again on HDC either for the rest of their sentence or on any future custodial sentences they may receive."

Another letter, dated April 24, states that Ball's month of conditional release on licence could be as soon as March next year. It adds that Phillips, if granted electronic tagging, will be entitled to conditional release on licence from May 2015 and if not, August 2015.

Mrs Perkins said: "This system is only here for offenders, it's not for the victims. They couldn't care less about us, they are protecting them. They won't tell us anything because all they want to do is protect them.

Mr Perkins added: "I think the general public need to know that when somebody is sentenced they are going to serve a specific amount of time and I think the general public think you serve about 50 per cent and they are let out on tag or licence.

"I think there needs to be some legal stuff put down that when someone is sentenced there are minimum terms that offenders serve and that the public should know when somebody goes to jail that they will be in for a certain amount of time and not be able to come out without serving 50 per cent of the sentence."