Ruthless thug jailed for Lowry art raid

A ROBBER who held a knife to a two-year-old girl’s throat during a raid to steal £1.7 million of paintings has been jailed indefinitely.

Casey Miller (23), of Constable Walk, Denton, was convicted of armed robbery yesterday and will only be able to apply for parole after five years and one month.

Police are continuing to appeal for information to help them trace Miller’s accomplices and the paintings he stole, including Lowry originals.

The gang struck on May 3, 2007, at 7.30am when Ivan and Louise Aird were woken at their Cheadle Hulme home by the doorbell.

Thinking it was the postman, Louise answered the door holding her two-year-old daughter, Sabrina, and was confronted by a man who violently pushed her back into the house and held a knife to their heads.

Ivan was grabbed and pushed to the floor and also threatened with a knife after his hands were tied behind his back.

Three other men ran around the house removing paintings from the walls before driving off in a blue hatchback car.

Police carried out a series of raids in November, 2007, and Miller was arrested, but the paintings have never been traced.

Det Con Chris Barnes, from GMP’s major incident team, said: “This was terrifying for the Aird family. The individuals threatened a two-year-old child with a knife. This is unforgivable.

“The paintings that were stolen that day are so rare and easily recognisable they would be virtually worthless to the people who stole them as they would never be able to sell them to anyone else.

“Although we are pleased that one man has been sentenced for his role in this, we are still keen to trace the other people involved and still want to find the stolen paintings and return them to their rightful owner.”

A £70,000 reward remains available to anyone who provides information leading to the recovery and return of the paintings, which include a £700,000 piece entitled The Viaduct and a £600,000 work called The Tanker Entering the Tyne.

Anyone with information can call 856 2482 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555111.