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Three men involved in a terrifying aggravated burglary at the home of an elderly couple in Rochester have been jailed for a total of more than 16 years following proceedings at Maidstone Crown Court.

Jesse Eastwood, 34, of Perry Hall Road in Orpington, was sentenced to seven years and eight months after being identified as the ringleader of the plot.

Christopher David, 41, of Downham Way in Bromley, received six years and nine months behind bars, while Thomas O'Sullivan, 27, of Yalding Hill in Maidstone, was sentenced to two years and five months after all three defendants admitted the charge of aggravated burglary.

The court was told that the incident unfolded on the evening of January 12 when a woman in her 70s was ambushed outside her bungalow while taking out a rubbish bag.

Footage captured a masked man hiding behind a wall before forcing her to the ground and dragging her back inside the property as an accomplice entered behind them.

The intruders attempted to remove rings from the female victim's fingers while other members of the gang targeted her husband.

The attackers sprayed CS spray into the husband's eyes, subjected him to a physical beating and forced him to hand over his watch.

The entire raid lasted just four minutes, with the offenders fleeing the scene with watches, jewellery and mobile phones while leaving the elderly couple locked inside their own home and unable to call for help.

The gang escaped in a stolen vehicle bearing false plates, which was located by Kent Police the following day.

A subsequent police investigation revealed that Eastwood had spent months planning the burglary, holding recorded conversations with a serving prisoner in which he detailed the layout of the house, descriptions of the victims and the specific watches he intended to steal.

Eastwood later described the planned crime during a prison call as a horror story.

Investigators established that Thomas O'Sullivan, who had previously been on holiday with the victims and was personally acquainted with them, had supplied Eastwood with critical inside details regarding the property.

The third offender, Christopher David, was identified and linked to the crime following forensic testing conducted on a recovered jewellery box. All three men were arrested at the beginning of February and entered guilty pleas when they appeared before the court.

Detective Constable Aaron Chapman commended the remarkable courage shown by the victims throughout the ordeal and expressed hope that the concluded case would provide them with reassurance and peace.