A father has spoken of his terror after armed burglars smashed into his young family's home and held a gun to his head - before taking his dog's eye out.
Jack Golding, fiancée Annmarie Behan and their six-month-old son, Arlo Behan-Golding, were at home at around 12.30am on Wednesday (August 25) when three men broke into their flat wearing balaclavas.
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One carried a machete, another a ratchet and the third a firearm, Jack told the Manchester Evening News .
In CCTV footage shared with the M.E.N, the three masked individuals can be seen breaking through a window at the flat on Lloyds Gardens, Altrincham.
Another clip shows Jack holding a baseball bat as he goes to investigate.
He told the MEN that he managed to strike one of the intruders before going to where his fiancée and son were behind the baby-gate.
At that point, he said one of the burglars held a 'gun to his head' and demanded cash and jewellery from him. The trio then attacked the family dog, Cilla, leaving her so badly injured she lost her eye.
The family have now been forced to leave the area, and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
In heartbreaking images, Cilla has been left with large cuts to her eye and nose and has since lost her left eye.
Jack said: "Last night at 12.30am we were at home on the first floor and we were burgled.
"They came in with a machete, a ratchet and a firearm.
"I managed to strike one of them with a bat and then they basically chased me down the hallway.
"They cut my dog. She lost her left eye, but she managed to pull through somehow.
"He came towards the baby-gate where me and my fiance and baby had gone and put a gun to my head and said to give him jewellery and cash, I didn’t have anything there.
"They took a fake Rolex and £30 off the side and then left. It was in and out, around eight minutes - but the amount of significant wounds it left Cilla with [was awful].
"We’ve had to leave the area, we’ve got nowhere to live. We’re still in shock.
"It’s happened before and I was more scared then and was kind of prepared for this. It’s my fiance more, and my baby was traumatised.
"But Cilla, my dog, she’s never been aggressive, just a standard pet, always been a family pet.
"Even when she was cut she came back into the bedroom and sat with the baby to protect him.
"I don’t know how she survived."
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "Police were called in the early hours of Wednesday morning (August 25 2021) to a report of a robbery at Lloyd Gardens, Altrincham.
"Officers attended and enquiries established that three men wearing balaclavas forced entry into the address while the occupants were inside.
"The occupant's dog was attacked during the burglary.
"Further enquiries have established a quantity of cash and a gold watch was stolen.
"The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made."
Anyone with information, including dashcam or CCTV footage from the area, should contact police on 0161 856 7587 or via the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk quoting incident 80-250821.
Alternatively, details can be passed on anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
