Tesco Robbers Put Behind Bars
Published with permission from Market Rasen Mail newspaper

The four men who robbed a security van at the Tesco branch in Market Rasen in January last year, have been sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to a total of 36 years imprisonment between them.

The robbery took place in broad daylight at 12.20pm on Tuesday January 16, as a 49 year old male security guard was filling a stand alone ATM machine outside the supermarket on Linwood Road.

Three masked men got out of a blue BMW 3 series and ran up to him in the car park, forcing him to open the door to the cash machines. He lost consciousness after being hit over the head with a monkey wrench. Fortunately he was treated and released from Lincoln County Hospital the same day.

The three men left in the BMW which was on false plates and driven by a fourth man which was abandoned at the doctor’s surgery on Gordon Field, where they got into another vehicle and left the area.

The four men who were charged with the robbery were arrested by officers from Greater Manchester Police at around 3.15pm the same day from Parr Lane in Unsworth in Bury.

Lincolnshire’s Detective Sergeant Pete Grayson, who led the investigation, said: “Today’s sentences reflect the gravity of the offence that happened just over a year ago in the peaceful market town of Market Rasen. It sends a strong message to anyone thinking of travelling to Lincolnshire to carry out such a violent and shocking offence that you are not welcome here, you will be caught and you will go to prison for a very long time.

“The rapid response by officers from both forces led to the offenders being tracked down and arrested just hours after the robbery took place. The pressure was really on and everyone worked fast with the same goal of locating the suspects as soon as possible. It also meant that the evidence we recovered against the men was so overwhelming that three of them pleaded guilty.”

Detective Inspector Rick Jackson from Greater Manchester Police’s Force Robbery Unit said: “These are incredibly dangerous individuals. They are career criminals who use these violent and unlawful means to provide their income.

“Prior to the robbery in Lincolnshire, we had been monitoring this team and building a case against them.

“Our inquiries lead us to Bown’s home where we found £63,000 cash, the monkey wrench used in the robbery, as well as the balaclavas and waterproof clothing the offenders had worn.

“This was an excellent example of forces working together to take dangerous criminals off the streets. I hope this is a warning to anyone else who thinks they can make money in this way. We will take all possible action to bring you before the courts and hold you accountable for your crimes.”