A balaclava-clad burglar who threatened a woman with a knife and locked her in a cupboard has been jailed for four year - but three suspected accomplices remain on the run.

Wimbledon Times:

Jailed: Werick Nogueira 

Werick Nogueira, 18, was one of three men and a woman who forced their way into a house in Poplar Road South, Morden on the evening of Friday, January 9.

The men, who were wearing gloves and balaclavas, held a knife to the throat of the 40-year-old woman and threatened to stab her with it if she looked at them.

She was then forced to kneel on the floor, before the group raided the house and stole a safe containing £2,000, laptops an iPad and mobile phones.

The burglars then locked the woman in a cupboard and barricaded the door shut using two chairs to trap her inside.

She managed to escape after about 40 minutes.

Nogueira, a Brazilian national of no fixed address, was caught after forensics linked him to the Morden address.

He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary on January 19 and charged with the offence the following day.

Detectives from Merton are still searching for three further suspects linked to the burglary.

Wimbledon Times:

Have you seen Rui Silvario (left), or Livia Souza (right)? 

Officers are trying to trace Brazilian national Livia Souza, 37, of no fixed address and Portugese national Rui Silvario, 36, of no fixed address.

Nogueira was jailed at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, August 21, after previously pleading guilty to aggravated burglary in the same court.

Detective Constable Duncan Askew said: "Nogueira's use of weapons was particularly callous and caused great distress.

"After an extensive investigation I am pleased to see Nogueira jailed for conducting a violent attack on the victim in her own home".

Anyone with any information or who knows of their whereabouts should contact Merton CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 1400347/15.