News Armed robbers jailed
Clockwise from top left: John Wood, Kieran Shortman, Michael Martin and Philip Kelly
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A ruthless gang of armed robbers who attacked a building society has been jailed for a total of 41 years after being trapped by their own mobile phones, dropped as they fled towards the M62 near Goole.
The Manchester gang targeted £69,000 in a cash-in-transit snatch and had followed a Group 4 van as it travelled from York to Pocklington, eventually making good their escape via the M62. But the nail in their conviction came when police found two mobile phones clumsily strewn in a field on the escape route towards Goole, revealing how they had professionally communicated and pre-planned their attack - including travelling along the M62 over three days, Hull Crown Court was told.
John Wood (22), Kieran Shortman (22), Philip Kelly (24), and Michael Martin (22) stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the dock of court one behind a high security screen after pleading guilty to charges of conspiring to commit robbery at the Nationwide in Market Place, Pocklington on March 28 last year. All except Mr Wood pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
The gang had launched a desperate attack on Pc Timothy Lee, an unarmed rural police officer who bravely gave chase, only to find himself under attack with a machete thrust inches from his face through his police car window near Gilberdyke. It was then rammed into his car tyre.
Sentencing at Hull Crown Court on Friday, Judge Simon Jack ordered the four to stand as he told them: "This is an extremely serious offence. I take the view it was very well planned. There was planning to check out the area where the vans would go, to see what they looked like but no doubt to see how they were driven. I take the view there is almost no difference between the carrying of a firearm and the use of a machete. A machete is perfectly capable of injuring people very much as a firearm."
Within days the gang were seen spending huge bundles of cash in MM Banks, Foot Locker and Virgin Mega Store in Manchester. In the robbery three men with black clothing and balaclavas with holes cut for eyes stormed out of a stolen car and surrounded an armoured van.
The Group Four guard had been unloading and installing cash in to the ATM machine - two loaded with £10 notes and two loaded with £20 notes totalling £69,000 shortly after 7.45am.
"He [the guard] heard a scuffling noise and turned around to see a figure dressed in black with a balaclava on," said Crown barrister Stephen Uttley. "He ordered him to open the door and get into the door way. He pushed him in the back and held him in a headlock before telling him to "Open the machine". As he was held a knife was put under his chin. He described how he was absolutely petrified. At this point he thought he was going to be stabbed."
In a witness-impact statement read to the court the guard said: "Although this was the third time I had been robbed, this was the most serious. The whole time, I was looking at the machete and kept thinking about a similar attack on a colleague who was butchered by it and had his arm sliced. I was petrified. I have never been so frightened in my life. I don't think I will ever get over it."
The robbers had spent the previous two days staking out the G4S cash service runs before the targeted attack. They used a stolen Fiat Tipo as a decoy, a £17,000 Saab convertible and getaway Ford van to travel from Manchester in convoy. Both the van and the Saab were abandoned and the final getaway was made in the Tipo - an unplanned move.
The court heard that security guards were on their first stop of the day. The raid started to go wrong as Pc Lee followed them in his patrol car towards Gilberdyke after being alerted by a call from the public to the van.
Mr Uttley said the van braked suddenly, the back doors opened and three masked men armed with machetes jumped out and began attacking the police car. One robber swung the knife through the officer's car window, narrowly missing his head. They made off, abandoning the van. But the Punto was traced to Manchester after it was used as the getaway vehicle. Their robbery kit, including balaclavas, was found inside.
Jobless Mr Kelly, of Salford, was given an indeterminate sentence for public protection, with a recommendation of 12 years. His barrister Roderick Priestley said he had resorted to robbery because he felt worthless as his long-term girlfriend was working and he wasn't
Mr Shortman, of Salford, and Mr Martin, also from Salford, were both sentenced to 12 years - to nine years for conspiracy to rob and three years for violent disorder. Barrister Lisa Roberts said Mr Martin was ordinarily a leaflet deliverer. "He is a small-time crook playing way above his league
Mr Wood, of East Prestwich, was jailed for five years. His barrister, Michael Johnson, said the trainee electrical engineer had been recruited to drive the Punto and was never to be part of the action.
The court heard police were able to recover less than £1,000. The gang had spent the rest.
Speaking outside court, Humberside Detective Chief Inspector Christine Kelk said: "The fact these people are going to be behind bars for 41 years is a superb result.
"The inquiry was enormously difficult, but the fact is these four dangerous people are no longer able to harm communities in Humberside and Manchester."
Published on 28th February 2008 in News.
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