A MAN has been found guilty of his involvement in an armed raid on a flat above a laundrette - in which a man died.

Christopher Salvador, 31, from Watford, was part of a large gang that broke into Baylee’s launderette, in Grays, on December 4 last year, armed with axes.

He was convicted at Basildon Crown Court yesterday of aggravated burglary.

He was found not guilty of possessing an imitation firearm.

Michael Williams, 36, of Milton Keynes, was found not guilty on both counts.

Joseph Pearl, Jerome Johnson and Harrison Fryer had already pleaded guilty to taking part in the burglary prior to the trial, and will now be sentenced at a date yet to be announced.

At the start of the trial, the jury heard how an armed burglar died in the botched raid after a father, who was with his partner and two children fought back.

Daniel Wood, 39, was with his family in their home above a launderette when a gang of at least four masked men burst in shouting “armed police”, Basildon Crown Court heard.

Mr Wood was left fearing for his life after attackers, dressed mostly in black with their faces obscured, charged his home.

He told the court that one said: “I’ll chop your head off and I won’t lose a night’s sleep over it.”

Cyrus Shroff, prosecuting, said Paul Robertson, who was the first to enter, was armed with what looked like a black gun, but later turned out to be an imitation weapon, and an axe.

He said the family were subjected to a “terrifying and serious” ordeal as the gang demanded money and tied Mr Wood’s hands behind his back with cable ties, as Robertson pointed the gun at them.

Mr Wood was assaulted but managed to break free, Mr Shroff said, and was later told to lie on the floor while an axe was swung around his feet.

Initially, Mr Wood was charged with murder when Robertson’s body was found at the bottom of the stairs but the charge was later dropped.

The pair were quizzed as to whether Mr Wood was a drug dealer, but insisted there was a small amount of cannabis in the home for personal use.

The court heard how the raiders had pointed the imitation firearm at his children, as well as stealing £2,800 in cash.

The trial lasted four weeks at Basildon Crown Court.

A date has not been set for sentencing.