Lea Village man jailed after bank robbery five doors from his home

Nov 26 2009 by Nick McCarthy, Birmingham Mail

BUNGLING robber Christopher Walker was today starting a jail sentence after robbing a security guard of £25,000 and fleeing to his own home, just five doors from the bank where he pounced.

Walker was caught within minutes because he was seen running into his own house opposite the bank after attacking the guard with a stick outside Lloyds Bank in Lea Village.

The court heard it was an “incompetent spur of the moment robbery”.

Walker, aged 19, from Kitts Green Road, was jailed for two and a half years after admitting robbery on October 22.

Her Honour Judge De Bertodano, told him: “What makes this so serious is the significant amount of money involved, the use of a disguise and the use of a weapon to hit a security guard who is entitled to go about his work without fear of attack.”

But she added: “I accept that you are sorry and that it was not planned. Temptation overcame you.”

Birmingham Crown Court was told that Walker was caught by police within minutes because he was seen running into his home after attacking the cash-in-transit security guard with a stick.

He had just been made redundant from his job as a council grass cutter and was short of cash.

Christopher Lester, prosecuting, said Walker had seen the van making its delivery at around 2pm and decided to cover his face with a T-shirt, before picking up a stick, which he used to strike the back of the guards’ knee from behind.