- Hugh Boyle and Samantha Alley were attacked in Horsforth, West Yorkshire
- Construction boss Mr Boyle says teenagers carried out the ‘scandalous’ raid
This is the terrifying moment a businessman’s £1.5million home was ransacked by machete-wielding raiders who stole his £110,000 Audi and threatened to kill his wife.
Chilling footage shows the three masked thugs wield blades in the brazen morning raid at the home of construction boss Hugh Boyle, 56, and wife Samantha Alley, 43, in Horsforth, West Yorkshire.
Mr Boyle was left with a bloody head and leg injuries after being attacked with a hammer, while terrified Samantha was held at knifepoint in a bedroom by two of the crooks.
The gang fled with jewellery, including Rolex watches, and took the keys to a high-powered Audi RS Q8 sports car during the four-minute heist on Monday.
But in an indictment of Wild West Britain, Mr Boyle believes the armed attackers were not professionals but teenagers aged just 17 or 18.
Speaking to MailOnline with his head bandaged and visibly shaken from the harrowing ordeal, he said: ‘They were kids – not organised criminals.
‘They broke in through a fence and stormed the door when my wife let the dog out in to the garden.
‘Straight away one of them hit my with a hammer, before they’d even made a demand.
‘Two of them took my wife upstairs and held a knife to her while the other one kept hitting me every time I tried to move.
‘They were screaming and yelling, just trying to get their hands on whatever they could. It wasn’t a professional job. They were just kids – 17 or 18, I’m sure of it.’
Irishman Mr Boyle and Mrs Alley moved to their four-bed detached home in affluent Horsforth in August 2018.
The raiders targeted the property despite its multitude of cameras and electric gates, storming the property at about 7.20am.
Mr Boyle said: ‘We were about to go for a walk with the dog. They must have been hiding in wait because when Sam let the dog out, they stormed the back door.
‘Before they even said a word, one of them wrestled me to the ground and hit me over the head with his hammer which concussed me. He hit me again on the legs and on the arm when I was trying to protect my face.
‘They took Sam away and held a knife to her, demanding that she opened the safe.
‘They took watches, jewellery, our passports and cards – and the keys to the Audi. They just took what they could – they were in and out in four minutes.’
CCTV shows the gang flee in the Audi with Mr Boyle limping towards them in a bid to stop their escape.
One of the attackers is seen waving his machete as panicked Mrs Alley opens the electric gates and runs back to her husband.
The car was later found extensively damaged in a nearby housing estate.
Mr Boyle, the director of construction company H B Tunnelling, said: ‘They couldn’t even drive the thing – apparently they punctured the tyres and nearly killed a few people.’
The businessman, who posted footage of the raid on Facebook while offering a reward, added: ‘My wounds will heal but I’m shaken up – so is Sam.
‘She’s said she doesn’t want to stay here and I can understand why. It’s horrible to not feel safe in your own home.
‘I don’t know why we got targeted. There are lots of nice houses with similar cars.
‘We’ve worked hard all our bloody lives to have nice things – but it turns out you can’t have nice things in this day and age.
‘They are just the scum of the earth. It’s just this generation. They want everything for nothing. Kids with knives in their hands – it’s just scandalous.
‘I normally keep my life private but people need to see what they’ve done.’
West Yorkshire Police is investigating, with a spokesman saying: ‘Police are appealing for information following an aggravated burglary in Leeds.
‘At around 7.20am on Monday, three suspects forced their way into a house on Scotland Lane, Horsforth and assaulted a man in his fifties, leaving him with head injuries. The man was taken to hospital and later discharged.
‘A number of personal items were taken, including a car which was found abandoned a short distance from the house.
‘Enquiries are ongoing into the incident and officers would like to hear from anyone who may have information that may assist the investigation.’
Anyone with information is asked to contact Leeds CID by using the live-chat function on the website, by calling 101 quoting 13240066481 or reporting anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers.
Another example of ‘Wild West Britain’ – again in West Yorkshire, this time in Leeds – came when a man casually walked up to a parked car before setting it on fire.
Meanwhile, a van driver has been brutally beaten by five balaclava-clad thugs wielding baseball bats in a ‘targeted attack’ in Bradford.
The latest raid comes just days after footage revealed the shocking moment a young teenager attempted to attack another with a knife in broad daylight – filmed by an Uber driver in Rotherhithe, south-east London.
Last month also saw the release of CCTV imagery showing how a violent gang attacked members of staff during a string of armed robberies across the West Midlands before they were jailed for 54 years.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
