Four robbers who terrorised a woman and her daughter as they raided their home armed with a sword, sledgehammer and handgun are facing a long term behind bars.

The gang had surveyed the home in Bough Beech Road, Four Elms before breaking in with the sledgehammer, threatening the woman and stealing £200,000, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

Now the gang of David Milner, Aaron Wall, Zak Price and Jack Menzies, is due to be sentenced next month, after each admitted the robbery. They will also be sentenced for firearms offences.

It comes after a 53-year-old woman was woken at around 2am on March 19 to see three masked men in her bedroom holding a sword, sledgehammer and handgun.

Her daughter was sleeping in the same house.

The mother was taken at gunpoint from her bed by robber Zak Price and made to lie in a landing while Milner and Menzies stole jewellery, watches and personal effects from the safe and bedroom.

Wall had parked close by as the getaway driver in a rented 4X4 Chevrolet Captiva.

The raid - which started with the gang smashing their way in with the sledgehammers - took just over three minutes before the three fled with the property worth more than £200,000.

But the plan started to fall apart when a police patrol car racing to the scene passed the speeding Captiva.

On instinct, the officers performed a U-turn, and another car was dispatched to the robbery.

The 4X4 was followed to the Tonbridge area, where Zak Price fled and was later caught by police. The vehicle was later abandoned in Tonbridge.

A search of the Captiva found it had been hired in Milner's name and address. Police found a hessian bag inside, with holes cut in it to make a mask. Cable ties, a sledgehammer receipt and muddy socks were also seized.

The receipt matched a sledgehammer dropped at the robbery as the gang fled across fields to the getaway car.

In the following days, specialist police closed the net on two of the key members - David Milner, who had gone on the run from Tonbridge - and Aaron Wall, an associate.

Wall was found in Tonbridge and arrested on March 22.

In interviews he made a full confession, identifying his role and the role of the others in the robbery, which included details that a firearm had been used and thrown from the vehicle when the gang had seen the police vehicle.

Things also started to look bad for Zak Price, after a dog walker reported finding a gun in Penshurst Road in Leigh.

"This crime can only be described as horrendous.

The weapon was found to be an imitation copy of a Sig Sauer handgun, firing ball bearings.

Forensic work later identified Zak Price’s DNA on the weapon - and packaging for this gun had been recovered at Price’s family home during police searches.

As the investigation intensified, police saw from the home's CCTV that there had been previous attempts to break in earlier that month.

Officers arrested Jack Menzies, after enquiries showed he had been involved. He was arrested after a member of his family brought him to a Kent Police station.

"The ordeal that these men put their victims through was as short as three minutes in time, but the psychological effect will last so much longer" - DC John Share

David Milner went on the run for nearly 20 days - only ending his escape bid on April 8, when he handed himself in at Maidstone police station, after a major media appeal.

It turned out gangleader Milner had befriended the housekeeper, and had gained an insider's knowledge of the house.

All four men were charged with robbery and having with them a firearm for criminal intent.

A small amount of jewellery was recovered from pawnbrokers across South London, but the majority was never found.

Two of the men were found guilty of possessing an imitation firearm for use during the robbery.

Milner, 34, of Tonbridge and 22-year-old Jack Menzies from Eltham were convicted of having had knowledge that a third offender was carrying an imitation hand gun during the robbery.

All four had previously entered guilty pleas to the offence of robbery.

Two of the gang – 23-year-old Zak Price and 21-year-old Aaron Wall - both of Tonbridge - had also previously entered guilty pleas to knowledge that the imitation firearm was to be used.

Judge Jeremy Carey told Milner and Menzies that they "were already in grave trouble before you stepped into my courtroom because of overwhelming evidence".

The judge praised the work of the investigation team and commended the victim for the evidence she gave.

Detective Constable Don Share from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate led the investigation.

He said: "This crime can only be described as horrendous.

"The ordeal that these men put their victims through was as short as three minutes in time, but the psychological effect will last so much longer.

"I pay tribute to the victim who provided key evidence to police in the hours after the offence that would be key to securing these convictions.

"Her subsequent evidence to the judge and jury was very powerful and I am pleased that this has been recognised."

All four will be sentenced together at Maidstone Crown Court on 23 December.