A PAIR of sick and sadistic criminals have received six life sentences after torturing two pensioners and shooting a man in the face.

Kacey Adams and Daniel Wallace, together with an unidentified man, burst into a home, tied up a couple and poured boiling water over their heads.

Judge Charles Gratwicke, sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday, said: "Nobody sitting in this court last Friday can feel anything but revulsion, sickness and a deep sense of anger."

Two weeks later they pulled up alongside a car, lowered the window and shot a man in the head.

Both received three life sentences, one each for conspiracy to murder, aggravated burglary and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

On April 26 Adams and Wallace carried out the burglary in Halstead, Kent.

They tortured John Buswell, 66, and wife Janis, 64, for two hours before escaping with £50,000 worth of cash and goods.

Mr Buswell was punched 20 times, tied up, had boiling water poured over his head and his ears cut.

Mrs Buswell had two kettles full of boiling water over her head and suffered life changing injuries from the masked men.

They threatened to "dig out her eyes" and "get their grandchildren" during the attack.

Judge Gratwicke said: "It must have been terrifying. You left with the money having ruined the lives of these two pensioners."

The pair admitted aggravated burglary and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Maidstone Crown Court earlier this year.

Getaway driver Drew Morris, 27, of Rayleigh, who did not know what they were up to inside, had picked them up from Billericay Town Football Club and drove them to and from the home.

He admitted burglary.

On May 10 Tony Saunders, from Stanford-le-Hope, was sitting in his Transit van at the junction of London Road and Stanford Road when a Mercedes pulled alongside.

He was shot at point blank range in the face through a passenger window.

Mr Saunders has lost 80 per cent sight in one eye and suffered life changing injuries.

Adams, Wallace and Edward Dooley, 25, of Romford were convicted of conspiracy to murder following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court earlier this year.

Adams, 34, of Covert Road, Hainult, already had convictions for gbh with intent and aggravated burglary.

He will serve a minimum of 12 years and six months in jail for conspiracy to murder and seven-and-a-half years for aggravated burglary and seven-and-a-half years for gbh with intent.

It means he cannot apply for parole for at least 12 years and six months and may never be released.

Judge Gratwicke said: "Three lives devastated by your greed and desire for money and not a whisper of remorse, just smiles."

A smirking Wallace, 33, of no fixed address, who also had a previous conviction for aggravated burglary received the same sentence.

Judge Gratwicke told them each: "You are a highly dangerous and ruthless professional criminal prepared to use extreme violence to achieve what you want."

Dooley was jailed for 16 years.

In November 2015 Paul Saunders, attacked Edward Dooley, with a machete in Loughton virtually severing his hand and inflicting multiple injuries.

The 30-year-old, of Biggin Lane, Chadwell St Mary, was jailed for eight years at Chelmsford Crown Court in May 2016 having admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Dooley then conspired to murder Saunders' father in the May 10 attack.

Judge Gratwicke told Dooley: "I accept you were not involved in the actual shooting.

"There was contact between you and Adams.

"You were an organiser of this revenge attack.

"You played a major role in the conspiracy."

Dooley played no part in the other incident.

Morris was jailed for four years and three months for burglary.

Judge Gratwicke told the court he accepted Morris did not enter the house, did not take part in the torture and was simply the driver.

He played no role in the shooting.

A major security operation was launched by Essex Police to keep the public safe while the four men were sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court.

More than a dozen officers, together with dog and helicopter support were on hand to keep the peace outside the dock.

Several prison officers were inside the dock to keep the defendants apart during sentencing on Friday and yesterday.

Drew Morris, the burglar from Rayleigh, has already had his face slashed while on remand, on December 8, and had his life threatened.

Police told the 27-year-old they had “received reliable information” his life is in danger.

Morris drove three men to a home in Kent where pensioners were tortured, but he was only involved in driving the other men there and back and not the events inside.

The court heard by telling police about the men he had driven there, after he heard what they had done, he  put himself in danger.

Speaking about the security convoy to the court and the presence at the court in Chelmsford Assistant Chief Constable Steve Worron said: “These measures have been put in place because there are a number of criminals involved in organised crime being sentenced.

“It is therefore reasonable to assume some people associated with these individuals may seek to attend the hearing.

“We want to send a very clear message to those intent on coming into Essex to commit criminal activity that we do not tolerate their behaviour and we will take action against them.

“Every day police are tackling serious organised crime to protect the community and make Essex a hostile environment for criminals.”

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Smith, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate – and senior investigating officer for the Essex case - said: "This was a horrendous crime that left the victim with severe, life-changing injuries.

"It is incredible that he survived such an attack and this could easily have become a murder investigation. The victim is now continuing his long term recovery.

"These convictions and sentences represent many months of detailed investigation and I would like to thank the dedicated team that were determined to get to the truth.

"These convictions represent the capability of the Serious Crime Directorate to tackle organised crime and bring to justice the most dangerous criminals who seek to harm our communities through the use of serious violence.”

The judge gave commendations to the officers involved in both cases.

Kent Police arrested Adams and Wallace on a plane at Heathrow Airport after they had returned from a shopping trip to Dubai.

Watch the Kent Police video on YouTube here.