“I always keep a baseball bat under the bed, but I never thought I would have to use it against an intruder,” says Mike* in a calm tone. In the early hours of the morning, Mike’s wife, Anne*, woke up to find a man dressed in black standing at the foot of their bed, holding a gun. The intruder proceeded to tie them up and brutally assault Mike, rendering him unconscious. He then forced Anne at gunpoint to show him where they kept their valuable possessions, and he made off with £50,000 worth of watches, cash, and jewelry, some of which he forcefully took from Anne.
The couple had minimal security measures in place, including an outdated alarm system and no safe. The intruder easily gained access through their bi-fold doors.