A BARNEHURST businesswoman who was tied up and threatened by masked raiders in her family home cried "please help, they might have shot my husband", a court heard this morning.

Gezim Delijah, of Waltham Forest, is accused of breaking into a bungalow in Edendale Road on January 25 last year and killing 64-year-old Edward Syrad.

The Old Bailey has heard the victim's wife Anne Syrad was in bed watching television when one of two men, who has never been caught, burst in and wrestled her to the floor.

According to the prosecution's case, Delijah then entered the room and showed Mrs Syrad a fake gun.

They say he demanded she gave him the keys to the safe, saying he would kill her otherwise.

During day two of the trial, jurors were played the 999 recording of Mrs Syrad's cries for help after finding her husband lying motionless on the floor of their utility room.

She said: "I think my husband's dead, please come quick. I can't lock the back door, I'm worried they might come back. I think my husband might be dead.

"I can't move very well, I'm tied up, please help, send someone quick.

"I'm really scared, I'm scared for my husband.

"They might have shot my husband. I heard bangs, I don't know what it was. Please help me."

Mrs Syrad, 62, broke off mid-call to lock the back door before continuing the conversation.

She added: "They had foreign accents, Irish and Lithuanian."

Police and ambulance staff arrived shortly before 10.30pm but could not save Mr Syrad, who was pronounced dead at 10.35pm.

The prosecution say he was tied up and kicked and punched before he suffered heart failure.

He sustained injuries to his body, including ten to his back, during the beating.

Mrs Syrad, who runs JAB Properties with her two older brothers across Lewisham and Greenwich, said around £7,000 in cash was stolen from the safe in their garage and a further £1,000 from the bedroom.

Albanian Delijah, 41, denies manslaughter, robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent.

The trial continues.