A couple behind a string of house raids have been jailed.
Gary Spilsbury, 48, and his 36-year old wife Gemma were involved a terrifying burglary spree which targeted the elderly, families and businesses.
During one break-in Spilsbury tied up a terrified 24-year-old woman and threatened to rape her unless she revealed her bank details.
In another raid a 77-year-old was also tied up as he demanded her details and ransacked her home.
Spilsbury’s wife acted as an underworld fence for her husband, selling many of the stolen items including laptops, gardening equipment and children’s prams on the black market.
The couple from Farnworth, near Bolton, Greater Manchester, who have been married for 13 years, were jailed at Manchester’s Minshull Street crown court.
Spilsbury was locked up for nine years after he admitted ten charges of burglary, two of robbery, five of theft and two of fraud.
His wife was jailed for nine months after she admitted handling stolen goods.
The court heard the raids took place between August and October 2019 after Spilsbury had been freed from a nine and a half year jail term for burglary and robbery.
Judge John Potter told the couple: “You both have a corrosive effect on our communities and you are people with no moral compass.”
He added: “Gary Spilsbury, you have a long, unenviable and dreadful record of previous convictions and these offences once again show you as a ruthless, determined criminal who is willing to harm vulnerable people by subjecting them to violence, fear and humiliation.
“You went into people’s homes and behaved in the way you did for selfish gain.”