AN ARMED robber has been jailed for 14 years after he held a mother and daughter prisoner on Mothering Sunday in York.

Serial burglar Scott Nevison, 38, was also jailed for a string of burglaries in the city throughout March and April, which sparked a major police manhunt.

Nevison, of Moore Avenue, Osbaldwick, carried out a “terrifying” robbery on an 87-year-old mum and her daughter, 56, in the Layerthorpe area on March 30 to feed his heroin addiction, York Crown Court heard.

Earlier in the day, the pair had gone out for lunch to celebrate Mothering Sunday, and were at home when the pensioner’s daughter spotted Nevison in the back garden.

When she went outside to confront him he forced his way in and demanded money while wielding a knife.

Nevison told the family he did not intend to hurt them, but he wanted cash before going anywhere, and and forced them both into a cubby-hole.

When he discovered he could get only £30, he took the daughter to a cash machine at Asda, in Layerthorpe, so she could withdraw £90 - leaving her with only £5 in her account.

During a separate incident in the same month, Nevison burgled the home of a retired teacher and her partner. He stole various electrical items and ransacked the bedrooms.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, said the woman, 71, died shortly after the incident, a death which, according to her partner, had been caused by the trauma of having her home broken into.

Judge Ashurst said Nevison, who pleaded guilty to the charges including two of robbery and one of false imprisonment, first burgled a home when he was 16, and has spent stretches in prison since 1996.

Judge Ashurst said: “Each one of these offences is a serious crime, but those on March 30 are exceptionally so. You made threats to tie them up and demanded money.

“They gave up what they had, but she thought one way of protecting her elderly mother was to go to a cash machine and take out more money.

“The impact of this on the mother and daughter was serious and they must have been terrified, not only for the daughter’s own safety, but for her mother’s, who was crying throughout. An 86-year-old woman is entitled to feel safe in her own home and in her daughter’s presence without someone like you bursting into the house and terrifying them. There is no alternative but for a long prison sentence in your case.”

Detective Inspector Andrea Kell, of York CID, said: “I am pleased with the sentence given to Scott Nevison, which reflects the gravity of his crimes and the impact it has had on his victims. He targeted a number of vulnerable members of the community over a twelve day crime spree, stealing their treasured possessions.

“I would particularly like to pay tribute to the younger victim, who displayed great courage when Nevison broke into her mother’s house. She managed to calm a potentially violent situation to ensure the safety of her mother and herself.”