METRO Cars boss Nick Astley has spoke of his relief after the robber who targeted his family at their luxury Lostock home was jailed.

Yesterday Peter Paradi was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the robbery and a burglary crimewave committed in Bury, Bury and Liverpool, mostly over a two month period last year.

The most serious of the crimes was the at Mr Astley's home, where his fiancee, 35-year-old Stacey Tomlinson and their two daughters, aged three months and three, were confronted by 44-year-old Paradi and his accomplice, who barged their way into the property as they were getting ready to go to nursery on the morning of November 22 last year.

Paradi threatened them with a gun, telling the terrified mum "don't make me use this" and his partner ripped Stacey's £45,000 engagement ring from her finger.

READ MORE: Robbers ripped £45k engagement ring from mum as she cradled baby

Mr Astley welcomed the lengthy sentence which Paradi will serve, after which he will be deported back to his home country of Hungary.

"That's fantastic news. I bet he wished he'd never come to our house now," he said.

The millionaire taxi firm owner added that the ordeal has had a dreadful impact on his fiancee.

"It has really shaken her up. She has been very distressed about it," he said.

"I have also been distressed about it. The fact that he has done it with two young children in the house is absolutely disgraceful.

"He knew there were children there. When Stacey opened the door she had a new-born baby in her arms and the other one at the side of her leg.

"You feel there should be some honour among thieves or something. There was no need for that."

Mr Astley said the fear of being confronted by someone, who showed what he claimed was a gun, had been "horrific" for Stacey.

"I know it's easy for me to say now, but I wish I had been there because you feel so helpless turning up after the event," he said.

"It's not the monetary things that matter. It's when your children are being affected like that.

"I am just pleased he has got what he deserves and a judge feels a sentence like that is reasonable.

"I am so glad they caught one of them. I just really hope they catch the other one."

Mr Astley said the ordeal is continuing to affect his three-year-old daughter, who is now too frightened to sleep in her own bedroom.

"It's quite a big house but we're all in one room now until she feels safe," he said.

"I just hope she's young enough to get to a point when she won't remember."

Mr Astley spared a thought for Paradi's other victims.

"The number of people he's done it to as well. It's fitting that these other families might get a bit of satisfaction out of the sentence," he said.

"We're very pleased and relieved. It's not quite closed with the other guy still at large and it's going to be a long time before Stacey and the children are alright but the police have done a fantastic job and I can't thank them enough."