Hero landlord reveals details of raid on bookies

The pub landlord who chased after armed robbers who threatened to shoot a Black Country bookmaker has spoken of his ordeal after being hailed a hero by a judge.

Bill Reece gave chase as the three criminals fled from a William Hill branch in Wolverhampton, noting down their car registration number to give to police.

The teenagers, Daniel Sedgwick, Cameron Wilkinson and Ryan Graham, were jailed for 10 years each on Friday afternoon for their part in the heist.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Sedgwick was "out of control" and could have fired the handgun and killed assistant manager Shaun Featonby during the raid at the shop, in Penn Road.

He and former Highfields School pupils Wilkinson and Graham, who acted as lookout and getaway drivers, were found guilty of robbery and firearms charges following the robbery, which happened on August 4 last year.

Mr Reece said: "It wasn't to be a hero when I chased them but they had intimidated the lad.

"I've got a good memory and I just wanted to get close enough to have a look at them.

"They dropped some money and I stopped to pick it up, put it in my pocket and took it back to the shop. It was about £70.

"The whole thing was all over within 45 seconds. It all happened so quickly.

"When people are irate and worked up they do things they wouldn't normally do.

"Shaun must have been so frightened. All I wanted to do was dive on him and get the gun. I didn't know at the time it was real.

"But I have been in the pub trade for 35 years and seen all sorts of things, guns, knives, everything, in that time."

Judge Michael Challinor awarded £250 each to two women who provided evidence after seeing the escape and a further £500 to Mr Reece.

He said: "But for their quick thinking this gang would have gone undetected and I publicly commend them."

He singled out Mr Reece for particular praise for pursuing the pair "knowing they were armed".

"The money in no way compensates for the fear they must have felt but it is a sign of the high regard this court feels for them," he said.

Det Con Gary Edwards, who investigated the case, said today: "Without the bravery shown by members of the public in giving evidence after witnessing a very alarming and traumatic incident while going about their normal, daily business, we may not have secured these convictions.

"The three young men involved have shown little regard for the law and no sign of remorse for what they did."

Graham, aged 19, of Hamble Road, Warstones, was sentenced seperately from his co-accused at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday because he had implicated Sedgwick, 19, of Rutland Avenue, Warstones, and 18-year-old Wilkinson, of Myrtle Grove, Penn, during the trial.