A COURAGEOUS great-grandmother aged 86, who stands just under five feet tall, has spoken to the St Helens Star about the night when two heartless crooks ripped treasured rings off her fingers.

Last week the man and woman who subjected Alice Lavin to that horrific ordeal were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to a total of 17 years between them for burglary and robbery.

Alice recalled how she was waiting for a member of her family to collect her to go babysitting at about 7pm on October 18, 1998. There was a knock on the door and she presumed it was her lift, but then a woman burst through claiming she was being attacked. A man followed her in.

"They asked where I kept the money and I explained I didn't have any in the house and that I was expecting a relative at any time. Then they started to ransack my home and I ran into the front room and switched the lights on and off, hoping my son and daughter-in-law who live across the way would see."

But the thieves forced her into the back room. Undaunted the great-grandmother of five, who had been threatened, tried to use her phone twice only to be caught. The 25-year-old woman threw the phone across the room pulling out the wire.

Alice continued: "The phone upstairs started to ring and the man couldn't work out where the noise was coming from because they'd already ripped the downstairs phone out of the socket. Knowing that they didn't have much time he shoved a hankie in my mouth and as I was forced against a wall they ripped the rings from my fingers. I pleaded with them not to take my wedding ring but they did before leaving the house with my TV set."

Despite her great courage, Alice, from Garswood Road, Garswood, was greatly distressed by the whole episode and when she went to raise the alarm at her son's, she couldn't speak. She pointed to her home and then at her hands and they realised she had been robbed.

But the thug had left his own calling card in the shape of a fingerprint on a brand new purse, which had never been used and he was subesquently arrested along with his accomplice.

Last week Derek Baines, 37, was sentenced to 12 years and his accomplice, Sarah Corson, was sentenced to five years by Judge Ian Crompton at Liverpool Crown Court, but not before Derek Baines put his victim through a second ordeal. Baines decided to defend himself and as a result was allowed to cross examine his victim. At one point he alleged that police had tried to frame him by telling witnesses what to say.

But Detective Sergeant Bob Pugh said: "This lady was an excellent witness and she did very well under the circumstances. It's never easy getting up in court and giving evidence, but when you're questioned by the perpetrator of the crime it makes the situation even harder."

In his summing up, Judge Crompton said: "It is amazing that this elderly lady survived the experience. This poor woman was terrified and did not know what was going to happen next. She showed enormous courage."

He then turned to the offenders, and said: "She has the courage and the heart of a lion, and then we come to look at you two. You are drug addict, a professional burglar, who as soon as you are released will resume your chosen profession.

"My duty to the public is to lock you up as long as the law permits in the circumstances."

Baines of no fixed address, formerly of Lawrence Road, Wavertree, and Corson, 25, of Pauline Walk, Fazakerley, were convicted of robbery and burglary. Both denied the offences.

Sadly, police have not been able to recover Alice's treasured rings given to her by her husband, Lawrence. One of the rings was a distinctive diamond and ruby given to her on her 50th anniversary, the second ring was a diamond solitaire and third was a plain gold wedding band.

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