A BRADFORD couple who lost more than £220,000 worth of jewellery in a “nightmare” robbery have made an emotional appeal for the “hugely sentimental” items to be returned.

Peter and Sue Hewson said they had been through “absolute hell” since their home in Rooks Close, Wyke, was targeted by four masked men exactly a year ago yesterday.

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Speaking for the first time about their ordeal, they described some of the stolen jewellery as being like “family” and said they were willing to offer a £5,000 reward for information leading to its return.

The pair were watching TV at around 8.30pm when they heard a loud crash and four men in ski masks burst into their lounge.

“They were shouting give us your money, give us your jewellery, or we’ll kill you,” said Mr Hewson, 65, who was pinned with a pool cue to his throat.

He said that after the robbers couldn’t find the keys to his Mercedes E250, they hit him and burst his eardrum before dragging him around the house.

The gang then found the couple’s safe, and again threatened to kill Mr Hewson unless he opened it.

“Your eyes see it, but your mind won’t accept that it’s happening,” he said.

“It shouldn’t happen, you should feel safe in your own home.”

Mrs Hewson, 66, said one of the men continued hitting her while she suffered an asthma attack, before then lunging at her face with a screwdriver.

“He got about six inches from my face and I just grabbed his arms and started shaking him, it was more fear than anything,” she said.

“He started hitting me with the pool cue, and every time I shook him, he hit me in the stomach.

“He came at me with a screwdriver to my eye, and it was just sheer luck that I saw the edge of the screwdriver and dashed, but it stuck in the leather suite.

“This was happening in our lounge, and you can’t comprehend that you’ve got four masked men screaming at the top of their voices and wielding pool cues.

“It was like they had suddenly gone mad, it was surreal, just horrendous.”

The gang of men were in the house for seven minutes, before emptying the safe and leaving with the car, which has never been found, and 46 items of jewellery.

They included eight pairs of diamond earrings, eight diamond and three gold rings, two gold and one silver collarets, three diamond pendants, a diamond and two gold bracelets, and two gold chains.

Also taken were a 1920’s diamond cocktail watch, a gold Rolex watch, a pair of gold cuff links, and a brass clock with a garniture dating back to 1895.

The total value of the items is estimated at £226,000, with a diamond marquise ring said to be worth £69,000 and the Rolex watch £56,000.

“When you’ve worked all your life for things to better your life and they are just torn away, words don’t express how you feel, it just cuts you to the core, you’re just absolutely devastated,” said Mrs Hewson, who is still seeing a trauma specialist following the incident.

“Unfortunately we haven’t been able to have our own family. We chose to buy and do up a house, and make it sort of a dream house.

“My jewellery was so precious to me, it was almost like the family I never had.

“People who have a family may not understand that, but for a birthday or an anniversary, it took months and years to find different pieces, and they just felt so, so special.

“They were just tearing it off my hands. You can’t believe that someone in their right mind could act like that. They just wanted to attack. We’ve been through hell, absolute hell.”

Mr Hewson added: “All of this jewellery means so much to us. It has been a lifetime collection of special pieces and we are desperate to hear from anyone who may have seen these items, or anyone who may have information about where they are now.

“We are still trying to rebuild our lives and move on from what was such a traumatic event, and if anyone is able to help us find these pieces this process will be made slightly easier.”

The couple said they were willing to offer a reward of £5,000 for anyone able to give information about the whereabouts of the jewellery to police.

Last month, a gang of four men were sentenced to a total of more than 65 years in prison for the robbery at the Hewsons' home, alongside seven other robberies in Batley, Frizinghall, Gomersal, Tyersal, Eccleshill, Drighlington, and Shipley.

Bradford Crown Court heard that the robbers had subjected victims to “brutal” violence while targeting high-performance cars and cash.

Timothy Tordoff, 26, and Wayne Coleman, 25, both of Mary Street, Laisterdyke, were jailed for 20 years and 15 years respectively, with Yasser Nasser, 26, of Broadstone Way, Holme Wood, sentenced to 16 years and six months, and Dean Coleman, 47, of Tyersal Road, Bradford, given 13 years and eight months.

Detective Superintendent Gary Hooks, who led the investigation into the robberies, said: “While the investigation into these robberies is now complete and four men are serving substantial sentences for their actions, I am keen to see that Peter and Sue are reunited with their collection of jewellery and that is why I am also appealing for people to come forward and let us know where these items are.”

Anyone with information about the missing jewellery can contact DC 5013 Ailsa Jones by calling 101, quoting crime reference 13160006184.

Information can also be reported to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

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