Armed gang in 23 store raids in Black Country crime spree

Masked men threatened staff at shops and petrol stations, stealing cigarettes and cash.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday how the gang targeted stores in Dudley, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Wombourne, with Murco petrol station in Warstones Road, Penn, raided twice in a month.

Michael Scanlon, 34, of Rocket Pool Drive, Bilston, and Gavin Reilly, also 34, of Butteridge Court, Prestbury, Gloucestershire, both deny a single charge of conspiracy with others to rob a total of 23 shops.

Mr Gerry Quirke, prosecuting, said the robberies took place between September 27, 2013, and January 4 this year. He said the pair were members of a larger gang.

"The men were not always present in these offences, but they were almost always present," said Mr Quirke. "There was a team of men, sometimes there were two of them, sometimes as many as five, but they had a particular method of committing that crime, and they carried out that crime time and again."

The jury was told that one man, Alan Brookes has already pleaded guilty to his part in one of the robberies. Mr Quirke said the spree began at the One Stop convenience store at Middleway Green, Bilston, where only a female shift manager was on duty.

"At 9pm, three men burst into the shop, one of them armed with a crowbar, and they were all wearing masks and gloves," Mr Quirke said. "Two of those robbers went behind the counter and began filling a large bag with cigarettes."

The gang fled in a silver, three-door Vauxhall car, the jury was told. Four days later, on October 1, Dudley Port Co-op was raided and the gang fled in a silver Vauxhall Astra.

However, Mr Quirke continuted, when Coseley Convenience Store in Upper Ettingshall Road was targeted, the shopkeeper put up a fight during which a mobile phone was dropped belonging to Gavin Reilly.

The court was told the gang also robbed other premises including Betfred bookmakers in Upper Gornal, One Stop in Prestwood Road, Wolverhampton, the Shell petrol station in Sedgley Road, Woodsetton, the Tesco Express store, Hurst Hill, Coseley, a convenience store in Wombourne and the One Stop Shop in Ashmore Park. The trial continues.