A HARDENED criminal nicknamed 'Bin Laden' who threatened to kill a 78-year-old man during a terrifying burglary in Westhoughton has been jailed for 22 years.

Craig Lister was sentenced for his part in the burglary at the home of Brian and Enid Butler in Westhoughton, as well as his involvement in violent raids at homes and in cash in transit van robberies in Merseyside.

At Bolton Crown Court, Judge Timothy Clayson classified Lister as a "dangerous" criminal, and handed him an extended sentence.

Lister was part of a "highly organised" criminal gang armed with knives, machetes and a meat cleaver, carrying out targeted raids in Liverpool at the homes of wealthy families, including the city's Chinese community, and on cash in transit vans.

The 34-year-old carried out the raid in Westhoughton alongside two henchmen, after being recruited by Wayne Duckworth who knew the “violent professional criminal”.

Raymond Dallimore, who is Mr Butler's nephew, organised the attack on March 28 last year as revenge after becoming incensed when he asked his nephew to repay a £42,000 business loan.

Dallimore called Shaun Gastall, who he knew through his work as a tradesman, who then contacted Duckworth.

That night, Gastall and Duckworth travelled to Liverpool to pick up Lister and two of his henchmen before returning to Westhoughton to raid the house in Dicconson Lane.

Lister, who was armed with a knife, smashed through the patio door with his accomplices, one of whom had an axe, and knocked Mrs Butler to the floor and put a knife to Mr Butler's throat and threatened to kill him.

Sentencing Lister, Judge Clayson said: "The three of you were determined to terrify the Butlers in order to make them comply with your demands.

He added: "At one point you had a knife to Mr Butler's neck, and threatened to kill him."

The trio made off with £1,400 in cash as well as jewellery, 10 shotguns and 1,000 rounds of ammunition, worth about £10,000.

The court heard Lister knew there were guns in the house, as Mr Butler is a deerstalker.

Judge Clayson said that all but one of the guns had been recovered, and that Lister was enticed to carry out the raid with the possibility of large financial rewards from selling the guns.

He said: "It is with that in mind that you agreed to commit this offence, with a large financial gain from the sale on of guns to serious criminals."

Members of the Butler family were in court to hear Judge Clayson's remarks, and said they were satisfied with the sentence given.

At a previous hearing, Dallimore, aged 59, of Church Street, Westhoughton, was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison, Duckworth, aged 33, of Park Road, Westhoughton, received nine years, and Gastall, aged 35, of Marple Crescent, Leigh, was sentenced to six years.

Dallimore and Duckworth stood trial accused of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, but Gastall pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Lister, of Hale Road, Liverpool, was sentenced to a total of eight years for conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary related to the incident in Westhoughton.

His sentence totalled 22 years with the offences in Merseyside, after admitting counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to rob.

After the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Keaton from Merseyside Police's Matrix Serious Organised Crime unit, said: "Craig Lister is a dangerous and ruthless individual who played a leading part in a series of violent burglaries and robberies across Merseyside and other parts of the country.

"These results send a really clear message about how seriously the courts take offences of this nature and today represents another major step towards a prolific and dangerous organised crime group being dismantled and all their victims getting the justice they deserve.

"We will be relentless in our efforts to crackdown on serious and organised crime and the message to offenders remains clear - wherever you commit serious crime, you will be caught."