A MOTHER-of-three who planned and took part in an armed raid, terrorising a couple at their home in Wythall, has been jailed for nine years and nine months at Worcester Crown Court.

Amy Egginton, of Beilby Road, Stirchley, Birmingham, had plotted the burglary at the home of company director Nirmal Gupta and his wife Saroj with her brother, Luke, after they had learned about money in the house.

The 25-year-old admitted aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit the offence and her jail sentence included three months for breaking her bail conditions by failing to turn up at an earlier sentencing hearing.

At the previous hearing, her brother, Luke, aged 26, of Shawfields, Wythall, was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary, although he was cleared of taking part in the raid.

He had denied both allegations.

The trial jury had heard that Mr Gupta answered a knock at the door of his home in Alcester Road, Wythall, in January 2014 and was knocked to the floor as three masked intruders armed with a knife and a taser burst in.

Peter Arnold, prosecuting, said Amy and Luke's mother, who worked as a cleaner for the Guptas - a couple in their late middle age - had also been on trial but was acquitted.

Mr Arnold said the armed intruders threatened Mr Gupta.

Two of the raiders were men, who held the couple downstairs while Amy Egginton went upstairs and stole five purses, containing a total of around £6,000.

Rashad Mohammed, defending, said Egginton had expressed her regret and remorse in a letter to the judge and she was worried about her three children, all aged under 10.

Judge Robert Juckes QC said Mr Gupta had shown a high degree of courage in giving evidence but the couple's ordeal had made his wife's existing speech difficulty worse and they had finally moved out of their house because she was so scared by what happened.

He told Egginton, whose share of the haul from the raid was £1,200: "You knew exactly where the money was. You knew exactly the kind of people who were going to be attacked."

The judge added: "When you took part you plainly had no concern for your children at all.

"Although you were the woman involved it seems to me you were the organiser of the others.

"This is the most serious kind of aggravated burglary."