Pair of balaclava-clad robbers who attacked a celebrity antiques dealer with a hammer before making off with £365,000 of goods are jailed for a total of 31 years

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Two vicious criminals who carried out an horrific hammer attack on TV antiques dealer Ian Towning have been jailed for a total of more than 30 years.

Dangermen James Dixon, 42, and Thomas Loring, 41, were handed lengthy sentences following the horrific onslaught which left Mr Towning living in fear.

Chilling CCTV footage captured the moments Mr Towning was left screaming for his life after being ambushed by the balaclava-clad pair who left him with blood streaming from a head wound as they escaped with jewellery worth up to £365,000.

Mr Towning, 76, later told how he was lucky to be alive and believed his appearances as a guest expert on Dickinson's Real Deal on ITV and Channel 4's Posh Pawn made him a target.

The savage attack at Mr Towning's Bourbon Hanby antique shop in Chelsea was part of a crime spree which saw the pair target cash vans, Post Offices and stores.

But Dixon and Loring were finally counting the cost after Judge Marcus Tregilgas-Davey handed Dixon a 17-year extended jail term while Loring was imprisoned for 14 years.

Judges can pass extended sentences if they find a defendant to be a dangerous offender - meaning they present a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public.

Dixon appeared via video link from HMP Pentonville while Loring sat in the dock during the sentencing hearing at Kingston Crown Court.

Celebrity antiques expert Ian Towning - who has appeared on Dickinson's Real Deal on ITV , and Channel 4 's Posh Pawn - was left with blood pouring from his face after being attacked with a 'clawhammer' during a robbery at his Chelsea jewellery store

James Dixon (right) and Thomas Loring (left) targeted cash-in-transit workers, Post Offices, a Poundland , and the west London jewellers in a 'campaign of burglaries in the Greater London area between March and June 2024'

CCTV footage showed the two hammer wielding thieves raiding Mr Towney's jewellery store in Bourbon Hanby Arcade in Chelsea, on March 26, 2024

The court heard how the pair struck on March 26 last year when they arrived outside Mr Towing's shop in a shopping arcade in Sydney Street in a car with false number plates.

Dixon was armed with a clawhammer while Loring wielded a sledgehammer as they charged into the shop.

When approached by a security guard, Dixon smashed his head with the hammer knocking him to the ground before kicking him while he was down.

Mr Towning was struck 'multiple times' as he 'cowered on the floor', the court heard.

Describing the attack the judge said: 'You both then smashed through the display cases taking items of jewellery and antiques.

'Dixon, you then punched Mr Towning again before you fled the shop with the items, got into a getaway car and sped off - it was a brazen robbery.'

The haul included items of jewellery 'of great financial and sentimental worth' including a necklace valued at £44,000.

Mr Towning said in his victim impact statement, read to the court by the judge: 'I feel like a totally different person, less tolerant and unable to give people my full attention.

'It's left me with a fear of social situations... I am depressed and often cry uncontrollably when I think about what happened'.

The two balaclava-clad men were spotted approaching the Chelsea shop on a CCTV monitor in March 2024

The ordeal began when the security guard Mark Simmons, 60, saw the thugs. He is seen here challenging them

The men got past Mr Simmons and made their way into the store, unsuccessfully trying to smash a display cabinet's reinforced glass with a sledgehammer

Mr Towning puts his arms out as one of the thugs mercilessly batters him with a claw hammer

The court heard that before the attack the pair had carried out a failed robbery of a Post Office cash-in-transit worker on March 11.

Both men watched the worker take bundles of cash inside metal boxes to the Post Office.

Loring waited in a getaway car as Dixon, again wearing face coverings and gloves, ran up and punched the worker twice in the face 'with a great deal of force'.

The victim - who was left 'staggering after the attack' - managed to keep hold of the boxes that contained around £25,000.

The spree continued after the attack on Mr Towning when the pair stole more than £3,000 in tobacco stock from a Shell Garage in Gravesend, before driving off in a stolen Skoda on May 9.

On another occasion, Dixon was seen on CCTV near a Poundland in Sidcup, south-east London, carrying out reconnaissance, the judge said.

The following day, the men arrived in the same Skoda outside the rear of the store.

They used crowbars to open the doors and CCTV captured staff fleeing with a lone woman left in the storeroom before the pair kicked down the door and escaped with more than £5,000.

The raid took place at Mr Towning's Bourbon Hanbury store (pictured) in Chelsea

Pictures show the damage done to display cabinets in the aftermath of the hammer attack

The following month they attacked a Post Office in Old Kent Road, south east London.

The court heard Dixon entered the store and ran up to the postmaster while clad in a face covering and gloves before taking more than £8,000 and delivering a knock-out blow to the postmaster.

Dixon pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob and conspiring to burgle,while Loring was convicted of the same offences after a trial.

The court heard Dixon - whose offending was committed while on licence for a previous crime - had 26 previous convictions for 50 offences, 30 of which were theft-related and seven against a person.

He was given an extended sentence of 17 years, which means the first 13 and a half years will be in custody and the remainder could be spent on licence.

Loring had 23 convictions for 53 offences, 26 for theft-related crimes and one against a person.

After the pair were convicted Mr Towning said: 'said: 'I'm emotional and choked up, I'm glad they've been put away because they are monsters. They have no regard for anyone. They just wanted to rob and beat us up. They are totally disgusting. Hopefully, by the time they will be out, they will be old men.

'I actually think prison is too good for them because they have food and lodging and heating.

Antique jewellery expert Ian Towning., owner of Bourbon Hanby Arcade, pictured a week after the robbery, with significant bruising to his left eye 

Mr Towning has appeared as a guest expert on Dickinson's Real Deal on ITV and Channel 4 's Posh Pawn

'They just seemed to have got out and started robbing again.'

Describing the impact of the attack he said: 'It's really screwed me up. I haven't slept well since, and I'm just nervous all the time. Even in my own garden, I feel vulnerable.

'I rarely dare walk down the street now, and if I do, I don't like anyone being behind me. And at a restaurant, I sit with my back to the wall because I don't trust anyone any more.

'My teeth, hips, my arms, shoulders and my head, they all hurt and sometimes when I go into my shop, I don't like to be in there anymore - that's not good for business. Mark feels the same.'