A grandfather who was part of a gang who held a 90-year-old woman and her carer hostage before stealing valuables has been jailed for 16 years.

Christopher Doughty stood stone-faced in the dock as he was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court today for his part in the aggravated burglary at a house in Hambledon.

Doughty, 55, of Holly Gardens, West End was convicted by a jury of eight men and four women.

He was involved in a burglary at a house in East Street where three men wearing balaclavas broke in and tied up 90-year-old pensioner June Langdon and her carer Victoria Stamp in October last year, threatening to shoot the pensioner's dog before escaping with jewellery and other valuables.

Sentencing him to 16 years in prison and a further five on license, Judge Gary Burrell branded it a "serious offence" and said to Doughty, who has a history of burglary since age 11: "You are a career burglar who has in recent times upped the ante and upped the stakes to violent burglary to properties for financial gain.

"You will be a much older man when you are out of custody and I hope for the sake of the public and your family who have suffered that you will hang up your balaclava."

Daily Echo: Victoria Langdon's son John and her carer Victoria Stamp outside the court. 

Doughty was also sentenced to five years concurrently for a possessing a loaded fire arm which was found to be stolen from a house in Southampton.

But the jury cleared Doughty of involvement in that raid which took place at a house in Dumbleton Close where an elderly couple were also tied up and threatened with violence.

Afterwards Mrs Langdon's son John revealed outside the court that some of the stolen items have been returned to their home in time for Christmas - two days before the sentencing.

This included a silver platter which was signed by her late husband Richard who she met and married during the war.

John Langdon said the sentence was just and added: "it's a very long time. But this whole drama does rock you and she is suspicious of everything now and it is a shock to the system.

"A lot of people said that for someone of my mum's age could have had a heart attack."

Victoria told how she feared for her life and added: "it's the kind of thing you see on television and at the end they die and you think to yourself hurry up and get on with it,"

She said the sentence is what she expected and added: "I've just got to put it at the back of my mind and not think about it."