Man 'fought off armed burglars'

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A father fought back when burglars threatened his teenage daughter with a knife, a court has heard.

Bernard Dwyer, 51, retaliated against the men at his home in West Drayton, west London, despite having a gun aimed at his head, the Old Bailey was told.

Brothers Dean and Michael Atkins, from Uxbridge, west London, deny wounding, possessing an imitation handgun and aggravated burglary last November.

They also deny the murder of 65-year-old restaurant owner Kam Chung.

Another man, Thomas Carty, 21, who was allegedly with the pair, took his own life last February while awaiting trial.

I thought, well, if I'm going to die tonight then I'd rather die like a man than a dog Bernard Dwyer

Construction boss Mr Dwyer told the court that he, his daughter Aisling, 13, and son Danny, 18, were asleep when three men wearing balaclavas burst into the house.

He was woken by the sound of them running up the stairs and a scream of "dad" from his daughter.

He told the court that he tried to run to her room but the men - armed with a knife, knuckle-duster and imitation firearm - then assaulted him and demanded to know where his safe was.

One burglar then put a knife to Aisling's throat, the court heard.

He told the jury: "They'd been beating the living daylights out of me for nothing so we are all going to die anyway.

"I thought, well, if I'm going to die tonight then I'd rather die like a man than a dog."

Mr Dwyer showed the jury how he grasped the gun with one hand while hitting the gunman with the other.

Despite being stabbed three times in the head in the subsequent struggle, Mr Dwyer told the court that he chased off the burglars.

Earlier the same evening the three are alleged to have beaten to death 65-year-old Chinese restaurant owner Kam Chung at her nearby home when she refused to tell them where she kept her savings.

The trial continues.