A man convicted of an "audacious and well-planned" raid to steal LS Lowry artworks valued at £1.7m has been given an indefinite jail sentence.
Casey Miller, 23, of Denton, Greater Manchester, was found guilty of robbery after posing as a postman to get into the home of art collector Ivan Aird.
Manchester Crown Court heard how Miller threatened to kill Mr Aird's wife and young daughter during the raid in 2007.
He must serve a minimum of five years and one month before parole.
The paintings, including the £700,000 Viaduct, have never been found and police are still hunting for Miller's accomplices.
Miller has 28 previous convictions and is already serving a four-year sentence for grievous bodily harm.
On Tuesday, he was given an indeterminate prison sentence for public protection, which means he will stay in jail until the parole board thinks he is no longer a risk to the public.
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They will never be available for anyone else to enjoy, apart form your gang's criminal customers"Judge Andrew Gilbart
Jailing him, Judge Andrew Gilbart QC, Recorder of Manchester, said: "This was a well-planned, brutally executed robbery."
"I do not think you planned the raid... You have been hired as a useful piece of muscle to terrify the householders.
"It was a ruthlessly planned, professional crime in which property valued at £1.7m was taken.
"They will never be available for anyone else to enjoy, apart form your gang's criminal customers.
"That is a loss to the wider public and especially a loss to this region."
Miller told police he "didn't know Lowry from Adam" and denied involvement, but was convicted by a jury following a trial at Manchester Crown Court last month.
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