I was on my knees, waiting to be killed
Ex-England star Ashley Cole on terrifying moment armed robbers burst into his home
ASHLEY Cole told police he feared he was going to die after masked raiders smashed their way into his mansion, a court heard yesterday.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea ace broke down as he described being forced to his knees while he held his young daughter in his arms.
He also believed the raiders were going to cut off his fingers.
Video footage of Cole recalling his ordeal was played at the trial of gang members allegedly behind the raid.
The ex-England star said he was watching Netflix with his partner Sharon Canu when he heard a banging sound in his Surrey home.
He told officers he saw the gang on CCTV heading for his balcony with a ladder. Seconds later four men ran from a bush and “charged” towards his downstairs window, jurors heard.
He said: “I knew now, I am going to die. I have got my kids in the house and I have no one to help.”
An emotional Cole then put his hands on his face and said: “I said it wouldn’t affect me, but Jesus. I was on my knees, waiting to either be killed… I’ll never see my kids again, and I just heard lots of footsteps running up the stairs.
Cole said one of the men said “get the f*** up and give me all the f ****** jewels” and “take me to your f ****** safe”.
He added: “By then he’s grabbed me by the neck and I have got my daughter in my arms.
“He said, ‘Let go of the baby’ and I said, ‘I’m not leaving my little girl here.’
“I’m trying to protect my daughter. He could see I wasn’t getting up easily.
“He was pushing my head forwards and said, ‘Give me your arms, put your hands behind your back’.
“His hand was always on my neck. He said, ‘Don’t you f ****** look at me, I’m not f ****** going to hurt you, I just want your jewels’. Now my partner is at my door and is saying, ‘Leave him alone, leave him alone’.
“By then, he’s now put these ties [on me]… they were black, long and thick.
“I remember him putting them on behind my back and he did it and tied it… really tight. I’m still in my pants and I remember thinking, ‘What’s going to happen?’ I can see Sharon is crying.
“My son, he’s seen my hands being tied behind my back, and I looked at him and saw his face, he was just white.
“The aggressive guy was shouting. ‘You are f ****** lying to me, I am gonna do you’. He kept saying, ‘Let me cut his hands. Let me cut his fingers. Give me his fingers’. Are they going to torture me?” Cole said he was then taken downstairs and asked where his “cleaning products” were.
He added: “I am thinking they are gonna put bleach on my face or burn me
or set me alight. Then he gets Febreze and sprays it all over my hands and gets me back upstairs.
“Sharon and the kids have been moved from the bedroom to the walk-in wardrobe. She is begging, ‘We don’t have anything, please let us go, take the car keys and go’.”
Cole said the men eventually “literally ran off ” when police rang the buzzer of the family home.
He added: “I was happy they had run off and not touched my kids. They wanted more. The end result is they are going to kill me in front of my kids, or take out their frustration on my kids or girlfriend because there was more to give, and I hadn’t given them enough.”
Kurtis Dilks, 34, of Nottingham, denies conspiracy to commit burglary, converting criminal property, conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery.
Nine other men are also on trial for their alleged part in the series of raids. The Nottingham trial continues.
I knew now I am going to die. I’ll never see my kids again
ASHLEY COLE ON ALLEGED HOME RAID