Tod crash robbers are sent to jail
A GANG of armed robbers who attacked a Blackburn jeweller with a hammer before fleeing to Todmorden have been sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison.
The men, who are all from the Birmingham area, entered Rahman's Jewellers, on Whalley Range, during the afternoon of October 23 last year posing as customers.
Wearing balaclavas and masks, they threatened the owner, a 31-year-old man, with an axe, hammer and a knife.
They hit the owner on his head before smashing their way out through the shop window and making off with jewellery in a black Audi car.
They attempted to set the car on fire before abandoning it and escaping in a Fiat Punto.
A driving instructor, who was conducting a lesson at the time, spotted the men leaving the shop and contacted the police. He instructed the driver to follow the suspects, giving police a running commentary until they reached the motorway.
Police officers including the Road Policing Unit, Armed Response Unit and force helicopter followed the Punto down the M65 towards Burnley. Officers from West Yorkshire also assisted with the pursuit.
The Punto was abandoned in Portsmouth, Todmorden, following a collision with another car. All five men were arrested soon after in the area.
The owner of the shop was treated in hospital for head injuries and cuts on his face and hands. His wife, who was also in the shop at the time, was badly shaken but not injured.
Four of the men pleaded guilty to robbery and a fifth man, Shah Hussain, 29, of Lichfield Road, Birmingham, was found guilty of robbery after a three-day trial.
Asad Mohammed, 25, of Newton Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, was sentenced to four years and eight months.
Mohammed Nasir Khan, 19, of Walford Road, Birmingham, was jailed for three years and four months.
Adnan Ahmed, 21, of Baker Street, Sparkhill, Birmingham, also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was sentenced to three years.
A 17-year-old man from Birmingham, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for three years.
Hussain will be sentenced at Preston Crown Court on July 23.
Speaking after the sentencing, DS Mark Winstanley, the officer in charge of the investigation, said: "I am satisfied with the result for what has been a long and complicated enquiry involving numerous police forces and agencies.
"This case demonstrates our commitment to tackling organised crime."
Susan Riley, Divisional Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Blackburn, said: "This was a particularly serious crime with a number of aggravating features.
"The defendants had equipped themselves with weapons and were prepared to use them, subjecting the shop owner and his wife to a terrifying ordeal.
"They went to considerable lengths to escape arrest, driving the getaway vehicle dangerously and endangering other road users."
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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