Jailed: Armed robber who threatened to stab shop workers in string of raids
An armed robber who threatened to stab shop workers and made off with thousands of pounds worth of items has been jailed.
Kurtis Gordon was jailed for seven years and six months following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court and also received a six-year restraining order from all the shops involved.
Gordon, of Rawden Grove in Kingstanding, targeted shops in Aston, Kingstanding and Sutton Coldfield between June and September last year.
Staff tried to stop him from stealing at Tesco in Aston Lane in June 2022, but Gordon threatened to stab them before making off with bottles of alcohol.
Gordon returned to the same store the following month, where an employee recognised him from the previous robbery and asked him to leave.
Instead, Gordon pulled a knife from his waist and started making jabbing motions towards the staff member, leaving him with a cut on his finger.
The 27-year-old also targeted Mountain Warehouse in Sutton Coldfield and Co-Op in Hawthorn Road, Kingstanding in June, July and September last year, threatening to stab staff who challenged him.
Investigation officers trawled CCTV and made links between the multiple crimes.
They also took statements from numerous victims across the different shops, helping to strengthen their case against Gordon.
Gordon was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, four robberies and three shoplifting offences on 9 September, and remanded into custody.
At Birmingham Crown Court on March 10, he was jailed for seven years and six months alongside the six year restraining order, despite pleading not guilty at an earlier hearing.
DC Ed Winter, from the High Harm Robbery Team, said: "Gordon is a dangerous man who is now thankfully behind bars.
"He affected the lives of many retail workers and security guards in a variety of locations across Birmingham.
"All victims showed great courage when dealing with him and by attending court to ensure that this outcome was possible.
"We built a strong case of evidence against Gordon and have managed to take a violent and unscrupulous criminal off the streets."
