Three years later, in February 2020, Amos, who was on court bail and on the run from the police, posed as a gas firm worker to remove a padlock from a gate before killing Mrs Kaye and stealing her safe containing £20,000.
The Irish-born widow, who lived alone, died in hospital three weeks after suffering a broken leg when she was repeatedly thrown to the floor at her home in Harington Drive, Parkhall, Stoke-on-Trent.
In between the fatal attacks on Mrs Kaye and Mr Gumley, the brothers also assaulted pensioner Dennis Taylor, who suffered a broken nose and finger fractures when he was attacked in 2017 at home in Creswell, near Bolsover, Derbyshire.
The 82-year-old was knocked to the ground, jabbed in the face with a knife and struck with a baseball bat and walking stick by the pair who escaped with cash, watches and jewellery.
Both Amos and Jason, of Tibshelf, near Alfreton, were found guilty of wounding with intent.
In his opening speech, prosecutor Mr Denison QC said the robbers had travelled south from the Tibshelf area of Derbyshire looking for “easy targets”.
‘Senseless, cruel and evil’
Addressing Amos, Mr Justice Henshaw said: “This case concerns a planned series of robberies targeting elderly and vulnerable people which tragically resulted in the deaths of two of them and the wounding of another.
“You pose a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm.”
But the judge added: “Your murders are mitigated by your lack of intention to kill… which has played a part in my decision not to make a whole life order.”
Addressing Jason, the judge said the murder of Mr Gumbley had been committed “for gain” during the course of a “planned and pre-meditated” robbery but his offending was also mitigated by the lack of intention to kill.
In a statement, Mr Gumbley’s family said: “We now have justice for the murder of our dad and we can move forward with our lives. Thank you to everyone.
Josephine’s daughter, Barbara, added: “I speak on behalf of my family. My mum was more than just a mum or Nanna, she was a best friend and the person we could all rely on for help, advice and unconditional love, along with her cheeky infectious sense of humour.
“My mum was the boss of the family, and she held us all together. She has been taken from us far too early, and in such a senseless cruel and evil way, perpetrated by pure evil.”
