Children's kidnap ordeal
the parents of two children who were carjacked with their nanny by a drug addict today spoke for their first time about their ordeal.
Mikey Bryce, five, and his brother Josh, one, were with nanny Gail Felix, when they were attacked by Terence Winslow. Pretending to carry a gun he threatened to kill them before getting into the car and forcing Mrs Felix to drive. After 20 minutes she managed to get the attention of a passer-by, whose intervention probably saved their lives.
Today Sharon Bryce, and her husband Christopher, told the Evening Standard how they could not believe that an ordinary day picking up the children from school had turned into a terrifying ordeal.
They also told how Mikey still has recurring nightmares and carries a toy gun with him to bed more than two months later.
Mrs Bryce, 43, who works in IT, said: "I just could not believe it. I mean the kids were being picked up by their nanny in Blackheath. I mean it's hardly LA over here, and they were only travelling in a battered Ford Focus.
"When I got home, Mikey told me how great the police were but I was told that during the ordeal he was completely distraught. I have the police to thank for the way in which they handled him. Josh was too young to be affected."
Winslow, a Big Issue seller from Sowerby Close, Lee, was jailed for six years at Woolwich Crown Court after pleading guilty to three counts of kidnapping on 13 May this year. Prosecutor Edward Boateng-Addo told the court Mrs Felix had begged for her and the children to be dropped off but Winslow said she would "call the cops".
When they stopped near a pub Mrs Felix screamed to a man, Keith Burgess, who was standing outside. Mr Boateng-Addo said Winslow told Mr Burgess, 40, he was Mrs Felix's husband but the nanny hit Winslow and Mr Burgess, then also punched him until he ran off.
He was later identified from CCTV footage.
The boys' father, a 43-year-old IT consultant, said: "You don't need to be told how special my sons are to me - anyone who is a parent will tell you how precious their children are. It was totally unbelievable, unreal - even a bit surreal."
Mrs Bryce said: "I don't know how this will have affected Mikey in the long term. Since that day, he has had many sleepless, disturbed nights.
"We have had many long talks about burglars. He even puts a plastic gun under the bed. He is very interested in finding out how burglars can get into the house, what are the places they are most likely to use to get in. I just hope he will eventually get over it.
"Thank God that we had such an amazing nanny who managed to remain calm. She saved our kids - I don't know what we would have done had anything happened to them."
