Knife-wielding masked raiders who subjected a family to “brutal and terrifying” violence, robbing them of £300 and three phones, have been jailed for a total of more than 43 years.

Ashley Henry, Morgan Tinpeloo and Marvrick Elba terrorised their victims as they were settling down to a PlayStation game at their home in Swanscombe on November 2 last year.

CCTV had captured them arriving in Elba’s Vauxhall Vivaro work van - one used by him to deliver Amazon parcels - and then fleeing in the same vehicle with the rear number plate concealed and Henry and Tinpeloo seen “laughing and in high spirits”.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that just minutes earlier, they had subjected their victims to a “callous, cowardly and heinous” ordeal.

One youngster in the house was pinned down by grammar school-educated Elba and had a knife held against their neck.

Other children were screaming and crying as the same blade was waved at them and held towards their mum, while Henry even threatened to slash the throat of a sleeping youngster.

Then, when their demands were not met, Henry repeatedly hit the father with a 10kg dumbbell, causing him multiple, life-threatening fractures to his skull, eye socket, cheekbone and jaw, as well as a brain injury from which he will never fully recover.

Prosecutor Amy Nicholson told the court on Wednesday (November 13) how the three thugs, wearing balaclavas and armed with Stanley knives, burst into the house just after 9.20pm.

Having been confronted by the intruders in his hallway, the adult male householder was initially struck with a glass bottle by Tinpeloo before being told by Henry to “not play games” and frogmarched upstairs to the master bedroom to find money.

When that proved unsuccessful and the room had been ransacked, Henry chillingly warned he would harm the child who was asleep in the bed.

He then “shoved” the dad back downstairs where he struck him as many as five times to the head with the weight.

In the meantime, said Ms Nicholson, Elba had gone into the living room to “contain and confront” the rest of the family.

Elba “charged” at her with a knife, holding it towards her throat and then waving it at the hysterical children while ordering her to “shut the kids up.”

The three men eventually fled with a wallet containing cash, as well as a railcard, bus pass and the family’s phones.

The mum and one of the children ran from the house, screaming hysterically for help from neighbours.

Ms Nicholson said the male occupant was left “in a state of shock, bleeding, dazed and staggering about”. Blood was also splattered on hallway walls and floor.

Although he did not require surgery, the court heard he is not expected to fully recover from his injuries.

The three defendants were all arrested in Elba’s van in Gravesend eight days later.

CCTV showed Henry and Tinpeloo had been together in the Robert Pocock pub in the town centre a few hours before the armed raid.

Tinpeloo then phoned Elba at 8.10pm and, after he had picked them up, they headed to Swanscombe.

Once there, the van was seen driving past the victims’ home before parking up near Broomfield Park.

“They spent some minutes preparing themselves and Marvrick Elba was seen concealing the rear registration number of the vehicle,” said the prosecutor.

“After the robbery they were captured running together to the vehicle and leaving, travelling first to Gravesend.

“Morgan Tinpeloo and Ashley Henry were seen at 10.26pm getting into a lift, both appearing to be in high spirits and laughing. Marvrick Elba returned home alone.”

Tinpeloo, of Main Road, Longfield, Henry,of Crescent Wood Road, Sydenham, south east London, and Elba, of White Road, Chatham, later admitted three offences of robbery.

Tinpeloo, 26, and Henry, 29, also pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to the attacks with the bottle and dumbbell.

But Elba, 29, and Henry had denied that their roles in the raid involved any knifepoint threats, and to the children in particular.

Therefore, at a Newton hearing in May - where a judge decides the facts without a jury - the two adult victims and one of the children had to relive their ordeals by giving evidence.

Appearing via remote link, each described how the frightening drama unfolded, beginning with the sound of “a very loud bang” as the men rushed into their home.

Asked how near to her Elba had brandished his blade, the woman told the court: “It didn’t touch me but it was close enough. Close enough that I wet myself.”

She also recalled the terrifying moment she saw her child “squirming and screaming” at being pinned to the floor at knifepoint by Elba, before he then waved the blade at other youngsters in the room as he searched for her phone.

“They were screaming. I wanted to go to them but he wouldn’t let me. I tried and he said ‘get on the floor’,” she added.

But when it was suggested by Elba’s barrister that she was wrong in her account of what happened, the distraught mum vehemently replied: “He is lying. My (child) is having panic attacks because of what they have done, and you are telling me I am lying. They are lying.”

The youngster could be seen wiping away tears after recalling how the knife was brandished, hearing screams from siblings, being ordered not to call police and suffering face and arm injuries from being pinned down by the robber.

Elba accepted wielding a blade and demanding phones, the court heard, but maintained that he had not held anyone down, put the blade to any throats or caused any injuries. I admit I was quite adamant and persistent in them giving their phones to me but I didn’t at any point scream, yell or raise my voice,” he told the court.

He also denied that more than one child was present in the living room, claiming the others “must have been upstairs”.

However, the parents maintained that all but one of their children were downstairs. The dad also recalled the moment Henry threatened the sleeping youngster after Tinpeloo’s efforts to find money had proved fruitless.

The father told the court: “He (Henry) said ‘where’s the money?’ and put the blade to [the child’s] throat and said he was going to slit or slash it.”

Henry - himself a dad of two - claimed the victim had “100% lied” .

However, having heard all the accounts of what happened that night, Judge Oliver Saxby KC ruled against Henry and Elba.

Returning for sentencing, the court heard of the profound impact the raid had had on the family, leaving them traumatised with panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, sleep issues, depression and anxiety.

They described being “haunted” by what had happened and in such fear that they were forced to move house.

The father said in a statement read to the court that he now even had to “build up courage” to carry out simple tasks such as putting the bins out.

“Since the offence I have continued to feel fearful and panicked in all aspects of my life,” he wrote. “The slightest noise in the street can spook me. Something as simple as putting the bins out has become a massive task for me. I fear this will never leave me.”

Having described his ongoing flashbacks and nightmares, he added: “It’s affecting the person I want to be for my wife and children.

“The physical effect of this has continued to plague me and ruin my life. They have affected my ability to function and impacted my ability to be a good father and husband.”

Of the fact he may never fully recover from his physical injuries, the dad concluded: “Learning there is nothing doctors can do to fix the pain and suffering is very disheartening.

“The actions of the defendants have left me having to live with this pain with no way out for the rest of my life.”

His wife described in her impact statement how she still hears her children’s screams and is “overwhelmed by feelings of anger and fear.”

“Our lives have been completely turned upside down and we will never return to what we were,” she said.

“This is all due to the horrific actions of the defendants on that night. They have had a horrendous impact on the lives of my children and will continue to do so.”

The child victim also described having nightmares in which they could hear their siblings’ screams and “vividly” see Elba’s face.

Stating they no longer felt safe, even at home, the youngster said: “Every noise I hear causes me to fear someone is going to break in and harm me and my family.

‘Since the offence I have continued to feel fearful and panicked in all aspects of my life…’

“I often feel consumed by a depressive state. It affects my ability to be happy and causes me to go into my shell.”

Henry, who has 15 previous convictions for 24 offences including numerous for robbery and violence, was said by his barrister to be “deeply remorseful for his appalling behaviour”.

Graeme Logan, defending, said the one-time aspiring actor, had “reflected” on what happened and “finds it hard to recognise himself and the behaviour he engaged in that night”.

But he said that having had a “difficult and deprived” childhood, living in foster care and then a children’s home before spiralling into a life of drugs, Henry had sought to better himself while in custody on remand, gaining qualifications and enhanced status.

“He is deeply remorseful and has expressed his wish if he could, but probably won’t be able to, to apologise to the family involved,” added Mr Logan.

Tinpeloo, who has nine previous convictions for 20 offences including robbery of a classmate when he was just 15, was also said to want to apologise to the victims, and had demonstrated a “stark and amazing” change in himself while on remand.

Paul Mylvaganam, defending, told the court Tinpeloo had also acknowledged he would be sentenced on the basis of joint enterprise.

“He was not the wielder of the dumbbell but he understands the consequences and ramifications of being involved in an incident like that,” said the lawyer. “He understands that there is no excuse for what he has done.”

The court heard Tinpeloo’s life had ”spiralled into criminality” after splitting from his partner, losing his job and contact with his son, and then turning to alcohol and cocaine.

Ronnie Manek, defending Elba, said the former pupil at Rochester Math School who went on to study music technology and computer science and had previously worked for Ealing Council in London, had behaved out of character after being “a late recruit” into the criminal enterprise by his co-defendants.

References and testimonials also spoke of him being “articulate, witty and a stand-out guy”.

‘Let there be no doubt that this was brutal, unprovoked, and terrifying criminality…’

Mr Manek said Elba, who has no previous convictions and was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago, had also shown deep remorse for his actions, having written letters for the court addressed to both the judge and the victims apologising for what the barrister described as a “callous, cowardly and heinous” crime.

But on jailing Henry for 17 years, Tinpeloo for 14 years and nine months, and Elba for 11 years and nine months, Judge Saxby told them: “You burst in, each intent on robbery, each wearing something to conceal your identity, and each carrying a knife.

“Let there be no doubt that this was brutal, unprovoked, and terrifying criminality.

“True remorse starts with an acceptance for what you have done and the credit I can give you is limited because all three of you to some extent continue to minimise and excuse.”

Henry was told that as a “dangerous” offender an extended sentence for public protection was necessary.

He will therefore have to serve at least two-thirds of the 17-year jail term before he can apply for release, which will not be automatic but left to the parole board to decide.

Once freed, he will then have a further three years added to any licence period.

Henry was also handed a 12-month consecutive jail term for unrelated drug offences committed in Haverhill, Suffolk, in July 2019, and for which he was on bail at the time of the violent robbery.

Tinpeloo and Elba will serve two-thirds of their jail terms before being automatically released.