A cigarette smoking gunman who terrorised a housew

A cigarette smoking gunman who terrorised a housewife and her four children faces a lengthy jail sentence – thanks to his fag butt.

Mark Stockdale, 25, burst into Audrey Rose’s house and pointed a pistol at her face screaming: ‘Where’s the bag.

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At one point an accomplice covered her face with a plastic laundry bag, leaving her fighting for breath.

But during a struggle the plucky mum knocked the cigarette from the gunman’s mouth as she tried to break free, an Old Bailey jury was told.

The burglar and his accomplice escaped with a school satchel after terrifying the four young children as they slept.

But experts were able to obtain a DNA sample from the cigarette stub that identified Stockdale as the culprit.

The court heard there was a one in a billion chance that the gunman was not Stockdale.

Stockdale denied aggravated burglary, and claimed he did not participate in the raid.

But a jury took less than two hours to convict him today (WEDS) following a four day trial.

Mrs Rose told the jury she had just put her children to bed on June 20 last year at her home in Pleasant View, Erith, when she heard a knock on the door.

‘When I opened the door I saw a young man holding a gun at my face.

‘I could not shut the door and they came bursting in and I noticed the first chap was smoking a cigarette.

‘So I thought if I could push the cigarette into his face I might be able to burn him and that would give me the opportunity to open the door.

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Mrs Rose said the cigarette just fell to the floor, and she began screaming for help.

The gunman ordered his accomplice to keep her quiet so the second man picked up a laundry bag and covered her face and nose with it, the jury heard.

‘At that point I could not longer breathe and that is when the enormity of the situation set in,’ she said.

Mrs Rose sobbed as she told the court: ‘I was helpless, my children were upstairs and there was nothing I could do.

‘I was trying to hit him on the leg in a submission move like they do on the wrestling.

‘I wanted to give the chap the message I was not going to fight anymore.

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Mrs Rose told the jury she saw the gunman walk upstairs, and heard her children scream.

He reappeared moments later followed by her terrified kids, the court heard.

‘They were screaming.

They were distraught.

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Mrs Rose said she was pushed into the kitchen and told by the gunman to stay there while the men fled.

She later gave an E-Fit description of the armed raider to police.

Today the jury learnt that Stockdale has previous convictions for theft and burglary.

In August 1995 he received a six month term in a young offenders institute for aggravated vehicle taking.

Judge Hubert Dunn, QC, adjourned sentence today for reports.

Stockdale, of Middle Park Avenue, Eltham, was remanded in custody.

He will return to the Old Bailey to hear his fate on June 28.

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