A THUG who was part of gang that terrorised a family-of-five in their upmarket home has been jailed for 13 years.

Neil Stockley, 39, was one of the masked raiders who burst into the house in Liverpool, attacking and tying up a couple and their three children before escaping with jewellery and cash worth more than £250,000.

Liverpool Crown Court was told it is believed that up to eight men may have been involved in the crime - but Stockley, of Greenall Court, Prescot, is the only gang member to have been brought to justice so far.

During their hour-long ordeal – which a judge described as a “living nightmare” for the family - the husband, wife and children were all punched and kicked, tied together with duct tape and warned they would be tortured with boiling water and an iron.

The father, a successful businessman, had his ear sliced in two by a smashed glass frame and was stabbed seven times by the raiders.

His 16-year-old son had bravely attempted to rescue his mother and sister by charging at the men with a baseball bat but the gang overpowered him.

In one chilling threat they said they would take away the teenager and “iron his face”.

The robbers left with high value jewellery and £7,000 cash from three safes after the March 8 robbery.

Stockley was caught after his blood was found on an upstairs bathroom door.

Jailing him, Judge Mark Brown said: “This was a well-planned professionally executed crime during which very significant violence was used upon the family.

“Since the incident they have said their home is no longer a home, but a prison and the experience must have been a living nightmare for them.”

Ian Harris, defending, said Stockley, who has a previous conviction for robbery, apologised for his behaviour.