Jewel thieves sentenced to 37 years as police release dramatic chase video
A gang of six men who robbed a Norwich jewellers shop while shoppers looked on have been jailed for 37 years.
The gang smashed their way into the Winsor Bishop shop using axes and hammers before escaping on their mopeds on the morning of Wednesday August 5.
Bradley McMillan (21) from Islington was given 6 years; Curtis Bradbury, (21) from Hillingdon got 11 years, 17-year-old Dillon Zambon from Islington three years; Alfredo Rojasvargas (24) from Islington 6 years; Tommy McKenzie (25) from Hillingdon 6 years and 18-year-old Mark Maloney (18) from Islington 5 years.
Judge Stephen Holt said they all got the maximum discount on sentences because they'd pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
He told the gang it was obviously "a well planned and sophisticated robbery. You must have presented a terrifying sight to those who witnessed it."Despite most of the stolen watches being recovered, the loss to Winsor Bishop was more than £50,000.
The six men travelled into the city in a silver transit van and parked it up on a small piece of land between Aylsham and Drayton Road.
The men then made their way into the city centre on three mopeds.
At approximately 10:50am they pulled up outside Windsor Bishop on London Street. The three pillions passengers got off the bikes armed with picks, axes and sledge hammers and attacked the entrance door, forcing their way in.
Once inside the store, one of the men swung a sledge hammer towards the security guard and all three attacked display cabinets containing Cartier and Rolex watches.The raid was filmed on CCTV inside the shop.
In the meantime, the riders of two of the mopeds got off their bikes to hold up the entrance door security shutter so the three inside could escape.
Once outside the shop, all the men got back on their mopeds and escaped through the city from London Street onto Exchange Street, Duke Street, Pitt Street, St Augustine Street and then onto Aylsham Road where they picked up the silver transit van and made off out of the city down the A11 towards Thetford. You can watch the chase by clicking below.
Following the robbery, the Norfolk Police control room received more than 40 999 calls and as a result of that information officers were able to quickly identify the suspects.
The police helicopter followed the suspects to a wooded area off the A11 near Thetford where officers on the ground intercepted them and arrested all six within an hour of the incident.
Three Cartier watches and one Rolex, worth around £30,000, were recovered.
All six men were sentenced at Norwich Crown Court today. You can watch Malcolm Robertson's report by clicking below.