Thug threatened schoolgirl at knifepoint after he and accomplice lured mum out of house with Facebook con

'They thought they'd orchestrated the perfect crime'

A thug threatened a schoolgirl at knifepoint in her own home after he and an accomplice lured her mother out of the house. Francis Constantine and Jonjo Swaine thought they'd come up with a plan for 'the perfect crime', police said.

A woman selling a car seat on Facebook Marketplace was contacted by the pair, who were using fake profiles. Constantine, 27, and Swaine, 22, agreed a price with the woman and arranged to meet on a street in Ellesmere Port.

The woman didn't know they'd actually gone to her home and broken in. They were confronted by her teenage daughter, who heard banging downstairs.

Constantine threatened her with a knife, saying he would 'knock her out' if she got any closer. Swaine stole a motocross bike.

The pair were sentenced for their crimes at Chester Crown Court. Constantine, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 10 years - plus an extended three years on licence - after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary.

Swaine, of Wilburn Street, Liverpool, was jailed for two years and six months after he admitted a single count burglary.

Detective Constable Emma Donaldson, of Ellesmere CID said: "I welcome the sentences handed to Constantine and Swaine and I hope that they act as a warning to other offenders planning to come to Cheshire.

"Constantine and Swaine thought that they’d orchestrated the perfect crime, using fake social media accounts to lure the victim out of their home so that they could carry out their crime.

"However, thanks to the bravery of the victim, and the work of the team here at Ellesmere Port, we were quickly able to identify the pair as the offenders in the case and they have now been held accountable for their actions."