Birmingham robbers jailed over armed raid on Walsall Co-op store

Nov 27 2009 by Chris Henwood, Birmingham Mail

A GANG who robbed a shop armed with a chainsaw and knife have been jailed for more than 21 years.

Grandmother Theresa Allen was working at the Co-op convenience store in Turnberry Road, Bloxwich, when she was pushed out of the way as she tried to reach the panic alarm button.

The four-strong gang then ransacked one till that contained no cash but they stole £100 from another while threatening Mrs Allen, who had worked at the store as manager for 18 years.

The mask-wearing men then tried to force open a cash machine before making their escape in a stolen £25,000 VW car that had been taken that day in Cambridgeshire.

Wayne Thomas, 25, of Wychbold Crescent, Stechford, Kevin Clarke, 33, from The Shardway, Shard End, Christopher Price, 23, of Newbridge Road, Yardley, and 27-year-old Terry McMahon, of Clopton Road, Sheldon, all admitted robbery.

The judge jailed Thomas, Price and McMahon for five-and-a-half years each while Clarke, whose criminal record was shorter, was put behind bars for five years.

Wolverhampton Crown Court Judge Nicholas Webb told the men at Wolverhampton Crown Court they had disguised themselves with balaclavas.

He said that after being arrested by the police none of the men were co-operative with officers, none of them were of good character and only substantial sentences were appropriate.

The court was told that Mrs Allen’s 16-year-old grandson was also in the shop at the time and, after the raid, the gang headed to a flat in Short Heath, Willenhall, where they dumped their gloves, masks and scarves.

Police, who had been alerted quickly, spotted the gang leaving the flat to get into another vehicle and they were arrested.

Mrs Allen later told officers she was left shaken and frightened by the incident.