Shop robbery gang's Black Country reign of terror over
Four members of an axe-wielding masked gang that brought terror to staff and customers at convenience stores across South Staffordshire and the Black Country have been jailed.
The gang struck 22 times during a four-month crime spree, fleeing with at least £56,000 worth of cigarettes and £12,500 cash.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday that the crimes were carefully planned to coincide with opening or closing times of vulnerable premises and that the robbers were disguised and carrying weapons.
Prosecutor Mr Gareth Walters told the court: "The choice of an axe was significant because this had a much greater capacity to terrify than something like a simple iron bar. Many people, staff and customers were very frightened. The evidence is that these were all the work of a single gang but we do not suggest that it was solely comprised of these four defendants.
"However there is strong evidence of an association between them."
The gang struck at 22 convenience stores, 24-hour filling stations and one clothing shop between May 24 and September 22 last year, but the four men jailed yesterday confessed to being variously involved in only eight of those.
Judge Nicholas Webb told them: "These are very serious offences. There was a lot of shouting and swearing and employees of the attacked premises must have been terrified but no actual violence was used in any of the offences I am dealing with."
Jake Williams from Meldon Drive, Bilston, Anthony Everitt, 35, of Wallace Road, and Stuart Plant, 24, from Daley Road, both Bradley, each admitted conspiring with others to commit robberies. They and 23-year-old Andrew Scanlon of Oak Road, Tipton, were arrested after police swooped while a raid was in progress at the Co-op in Overfield Road, Dudley on September 22.
The raiders struck as two members of staff prepared to open the store at 6.20am and 'ambushed' one as he unlocked a gate in an enclosed service area in preparation for an expected delivery. He was frogmarched back into the shop where the gang smashed his mobile phone, took cash from the safe and some £10,000 worth of cigarettes.
Williams was jailed for eight years eight months after admitted taking part in a further five raids in 11 days while Everitt confessed to involvement in two more and was locked up for seven years three months.
Plant also pleaded guilty to being on two further robberies and was sent to prison for six years four months. Scanlon only admitted robbing the Dudley Co-op and was sentenced to four years.
