Blade put to man's neck and woman threatened in terrifying Black Country raid

A four-strong armed gang burst into the Brandhall Conservative Club in Ashes Road, Oldbury, shortly after closing time on May 18, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Two bar staff were still there along with the partner of one of the women and his 16-year-old son, said Mr Oliver Woolhouse, prosecuting.

He continued: "Michelle Kelly shut the bar and walked towards the foyer where she saw her partner Michael Fitzgerald and his son being confronted by a man in a hooded top. Three others followed armed with a hammer and knives. They made the occupants sit on the floor and took their phones."

A large knife was held to the back of Mr Fitzgerald's neck but Miss Kelly saw what was happening, activated a secret alarm and tried to lock the door to the bar which the gang kicked in, continued the prosecutor.

Gavin Stephens threatened to 'smash faces in' with the hammer and ordered the staff to open the safe in the cellar.

The gang were handed £2,250 cash which they took before leaving the two staff, Mr Fitzgerald and his son locked in the cellar where they were later found by police, it was said.

The robbers had the cash bagged up ready to flee when officers alerted by the secret alarm arrived cornering 20-year-old Stephens and Kalem Dunnaway, 18, in the clubhouse where CS spray had to be used to subdue them, the court heard.

Dunnaway was detained at the scene and Stephens was caught following a short foot chase. The 16-year-old boy's mobile phone was found in the pocket of the latter who threw a hammer into a bush from which it was later recovered, said Mr Woolhouse. All the stolen cash was recovered but the other two raiders escaped and have not been traced.

Mr Anthony Bell, defending, said the robbery was totally out of character for Dunnaway, who had no previous convictions, and commented: "It is unusual for a young man's first appearance in court to be for a crime of this nature. They were all there for the money but he was not carrying a weapon and his involvement was peripheral."

Stephens, from Hackett Road, Rowley Regis, who had previous convictions for robbery, theft and assault, admitted robbery and was sent to a young offenders' institution for six years three months. Dunnaway from Mount Road, Rowley Regis, pleaded guilty to a similar offence and was ordered to be detained for four and a half years.

Judge John Warner told them: "It was a terrifying incident and you hoped to get away with a large sum of money. Mercifully nobody was actually injured."