An armed masked gang terrorised a businessman and his wife in their home while they were babysitting two children.

One gang member, John Adams, admitted that, while acting with others, he robbed the 60-year-old victim of cash and threatened him, along with his wife and two children, aged eight and 14.

The 28-year-old from Aberdeen was sentenced to nine years in prison on Wednesday at the High Court in Glasgow.

The offence was committed on March 18, at the home in Inverness.

Prosecutor David Taylor said the armed gang burst into the couple's home shortly after they and the children they were babysitting returned from a restaurant.

Adams and his two accomplices had Scream-style Halloween masks on and Adams was also wearing a hood.

They forced the victim to open his safe and stole between £600 and £1000.

Before they left, the gang - who were armed with a crowbar and a hammer - threatened violence to the couple and the children.

Judge Lady Rae told Adams from Aberdeen that had it not been for his early guilty plea she would have jailed him for 12 years.

Lady Rae told him: "This must have been absolutely terrifying for this couple coming home from a restaurant to this.

"It is clear you were watching the house. You went in with weapons and threatened this couple and the two children. You were masked and intent on robbing them."

The businessman was taking off his shoes when the door opened and he felt a metal object pressed against his head. A man then demanded money from him.

When he said he did not have any money the man, who was wearing a Scream mask, became more aggressive.

The victim opened his safe and handed over a sum of money which he estimated was between £600 and £1000.

A second man entered the living room. He was also wearing a Scream mask. He brandished a crowbar and a hammer at the victim's wife in a threatening manner.

At this point the children came down from upstairs and saw Adams on the stairs. He was wearing a hood covering most of his face and was holding a hammer.

He grabbed a mobile phone from the 14-year-old girl.

One of the other accused then demanded more money from the victim and told him: "The kids will get it, mate."

Defence counsel Jonathan Crowe said: "He apologises for his actions. He had significant gambling debts. He was told he would be taking part in the robbery and felt he had no choice."