Details of the brutal crimes carried out by a group of armed burglars who raided a series of properties and left frightened victims tied up and gagged have been laid out in court.
The ruthless thieves robbed a total of six, deliberately targeted addresses while the occupants were held captive. The victims included a pregnant woman and her three-year-old child - who was struck across the face in front of his parents to reinforce the raiders' demands for money.
In another raid, a 63-year-old woman was dragged from her bed and suffered a heart attack, whilst another elderly woman was hit so hard it broke her eye socket, reports Leicestershire Live.
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