Two men jailed for 20 years after bank robbery

Two men who robbed a bank and held a pensioner at knife-point have been jailed for 20 years.

The pair entered the HSBC branch on Birches Barn just after 10am 18 December 2014 and demanded money from the cashier.

In addition to the 83-year-old pensioner, the men also held a knife to the throat of Raphael Edwards.

One of the men, Edwards, 32, called the police shortly after leaving the scene, claiming that his car had been stolen.

In light of Edwards recently being released on licence from prison for robbery, officers became suspicious of his call and subsequently checked his phone records.

The investigation showed that Edwards was having a phone conversation with someone, precisely at the time he claimed his car was being robbed from him.

Following the discovery of Edwards phone records, detectives were then able to identify Aaron Alsop as the second individual involved in the robbery, after he was captured on nearby CCTV fleeing the scene. His fingerprints were later lifted from the Insignia.

Edwards and Alsop, both from Wolverhampton, both admitted the robbery at the HSBC bank and were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 8 June to 10 years six months and nine years eight months behind bars, respectively.