A CROUCH End man has been jailed for torturing a couple to steal gems and watches worth £1 million from their jewellery shop.

Leon Williams, 37, was part of a four-man gang who broke into a a house in Moray Road, Finsbury Park, in May last year and lay in wait for the occupiers.

The couple who lived there, a 50-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman, returned from a night out, and were attacked by the gang.

The man was hit over the head with a brick and dragged naked from the bath and his wife was woken up by men grabbing her.

They were handcuffed and threatened with an axe if they did not hand over the key and safe combinations for their jewellery shop - Blingers in Fore Street, Edmonton.

Some of the gang stayed with the couple while the others went to the shop and stole around £1m worth of watches and jewellery.

The raid happened on May 9 last year in the early hours of the morning, and two days later Gary Williams, 38, and Kady Wilson, 24, were arrested by armed police in Hackney.

Williams was caught wearing two of the stolen watches, and a holdall filled with jewellery was found in the back of their car. A later search of Wilson's Ilford home uncovered more of the stolen goods.

Turker Mustafa, 28, from Waltham Cross, was arrested later that day in West Green Road, Tottenham, and Leon Williams, of Cranley Gardens, was arrested two months later.

Leon Williams and Gary Williams were found guilty after trial of conspiracy to burgle, and were jailed yesterday for ten years and ten-and-a-half years respectively.

Wilson was found guilty of concealing £800,000 of stolen jewellery and was sentenced for a suspended 12 month prison sentence.

Mustafa admitted at the start of his trial conspiracy to burgle and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

Detective Inspector Mark Raymond, who led the investigation, said: “This violent and audacious crime was well-planned and co-ordinated with every effort made to avoid detection and arrest.

“Their purpose was to steal £1m of jewellery with no regard for the victims.”