Crime Solicitors

A Birmingham man convicted for a terrifying armed raid on a family’s home has lost his appeal to have his sentence reduced.

The Birmingham Mail reports that Anthony Campbell, 33, was one of three men who burst into a family’s home in Erdington in Birmingham in the early hours of June 2014.

The gang pointed guns at two men in the house and women were threatened with being trafficked as prostitutes to force them to hand over jewellery and valuables.

It is reported that Campbell also staged a “mock execution”, as well as telling women in the house they would be sold into prostitution in Albania.

The trio were carrying a pistol, sawn-off shotgun and a large carving knife when they burst into the family’s home.

They showed the family bullets which they said would be used to kill them – and placed guns against their heads during the raid, which lasted for 45 minutes. The gang later claimed the guns had been imitation firearms.

They had also held one of the guns against a pillow and said the pillow would be used as a silencer.

Campbell – of Woodman Walk in Erdington – was sentenced to 16 years in jail by Birmingham Crown Court in December 2014. He was convicted on charges of conspiracy to rob and two counts of having an imitation firearm.

Campbell appealed his sentence, however – and claimed his jail term was “excessive”.

He was not present at the High Court hearing to hear his appeal being heard, but his case was thrown out of London’s Court of Appeal in less than five minutes.

Judge Deborah Taylor – sitting with Lady Justice Sharp and Mr Justice Cranston – said his appeal “was not even arguable”

“This was a long-planned robbery, carried out in the early hours of the morning,’ the Appeal Court was told.

“It was at a house known beforehand to be occupied by four adults and two children, carried out by men armed with a variety of weapons.

“The sawn-off shotgun was pointed at the head and one of the legs of each of the two men.

“The women were threatened with being trafficked – and the robbers made clear they knew the two children were in the house.”

Campbell’s appeal bid was refused.

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