Racehorse trainer tells of robbery ordeal at hands of masked gunmen
Howard and Sue Johnson, both 56, were relaxing at their farmhouse in County Durham, after one of the busiest weekends in the racing calendar when the terrifying eight-minute robbery took place.
Mr Johnson, the best National Hunt trainer in Northern England, was forced to open the safe in his extended house – which has an indoor swimming pool and stands behind high stone walls – then was told not to call police or they would be shot.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAfter watching Royal Rosa compete in the Grand National at the weekend, followed by a further 12 of his horses racing yesterday Mr Johnson was relaxing at home reading the paper on Sunday night when the masked men tried to break down a door. One was brandishing a handgun while the other had a 7in knife.
They forced him to hand over the contents of his safe which was around 100,000 – plus a further 1,000 left over from his weekend at Aintree.
Mr Johnson said the gunman threatened him: "If you don't get the safe open in 30 seconds, I will shoot you."
The raiders fled, taking phones and car keys to prevent their victims easily raising the alarm to their hillside property, which sits off a main road down a single-track lane.
Mr Johnson said: "Sue was shaking. I thought she had had a heart attack."
The couple waited 20 minutes before calling the police, and armed police were on the scene within minutes.
Sniffer dogs were called out along with the police helicopter.