First picture of 'brazen' cash box robber who attacked security guard at petrol station

Ross O’Riely, of Marans Croft in Birmingham, attacked his victim at the Sainsbury's petrol station on Turner Road, Brierley Hill, shortly before midday on Thursday, April 20.

The security guard fought back and, following a scuffle managed, to pull off a glove that 38-year-old O’Riely was wearing.

O’Riely then managed to break free and he ran off with a cash box containing money, escaping on a waiting motorbike.

Police investigated and the following month O’Riely was arrested in Warwickshire for dangerous driving in a vehicle on false plates flagged as being connected to the crime.

Officers linked him to the robbery from DNA obtained from the glove along with other evidence they had gathered. They charged and remanded O’Riely in custody.

O'Riely was jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Thursday.

The 38-year-old pleaded guilty to robbery and dangerous driving and was sentenced to four years and eight months behind bars for robbery, and 10 months for dangerous driving to run concurrently.

He was also disqualified from driving for 40 months.

DC Benjamin Lyttleton from Force CID said: “This was a brazen robbery committed in broad daylight.

“As he had a motorbike parked nearby to make a swift getaway, this was clearly something that Ross O’Reily had been planning.

“What he clearly didn’t expect was the resistance put up by the security guard. Thanks to his bravery, we were quickly able to link O’Riely to the crime from the DNA sample we extracted from the glove the security guard managed to grab off him.

"We swiftly charged him and we’re pleased to see him behind bars for the offence.”