Norwich Duo Jailed for Boston Home Robbery with Imitation Firearm

Two men, Derek Brown and Kevin Gibbs, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for a traumatic home invasion in Boston, Lincolnshire. The pair, along with an unidentified accomplice, traveled from Norwich to execute the robbery in November. They forcibly entered a residence, brandishing an imitation firearm and a knife at the three female occupants.

During the ordeal, the victims, one of whom was seven months pregnant, were tied up and threatened, genuinely fearing for their lives. The intruders demanded valuables and escaped with a Rolex watch, purses, and mobile phones. The incident caused significant trauma to those inside their own home.

Law enforcement quickly pursued the perpetrators. Police identified the vehicle used in the crime, leading to an armed raid on the suspects' flat later that same evening. Forensic evidence, including DNA found at the scene, linked Brown to the robbery. Gibbs was identified through his rental of the hire car used in the incident.

At Lincoln Crown Court, Brown, aged 61, received a sentence of 12 years and nine months. Gibbs, aged 46, was sentenced to 11 years and two months. Both men had pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The judge emphasized the joint enterprise and the severe trauma inflicted upon the victims.