A man has been jailed for six years after a string of violent robberies in Luton earlier this year.
Ahmed Shah, 37, of Denbigh Road, Luton was jailed for two robberies on January 10 and January 11, 2021, and a theft committed around a month before.
He received his sentence at Luton Crown Court on Monday, September 4.
On January 10, Shah targeted a petrol station in Trinity Road and threatened a member of staff using a hammer. After staff opened the till Shah took around £650 and left.
The next day, Shah entered a convenience shop in Limbury Road and used a knife to threaten a staff member and to tried to pry open the till drawer.
The staff member then challenged Shah who pushed them over, causing injuries. He was unsuccessful in opening the till so he unplugged the machine and left with it, pushing a bystander on his way out.
As he left his personal documents at the first crime scene and was captured on CCTV, his identity was known to the police immediately.
A warrant was carried out at Shah’s home address the next day and although evidence was seized, he was not present at the location.
Nevertheless, extensive police enquiries pressured Shah into handing himself in on January 13.
Shah was convicted of two counts of robbery, theft, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a bladed article and assault.
PC Adam Geary, who investigated Shah’s crime spree, said: “Shah was clearly motivated by making easy money by causing distress and misery to the hardworking staff members of the shops he targeted. He was not very careful and left documents containing his home address at one of the locations.
“We are satisfied with the lengthy sentence imposed by the court reflecting the seriousness of Shah’s offences. Hopefully he will take this time to contemplate his choices and perhaps choose to improve his life and leave the path of crime.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise the bravery of the victims in each of Shah’s robberies. Being held at a knifepoint is a terrifying experience which will stay with the victims for a lifetime. Thanks to their cooperation we were able to gather staggering amount of evidence which brought him to justice.”
If you have been affected by crime you can contact Signpost for free and confidential support, whether the crime has been reported to the police or not.
For further information or to get in contact, visit Signpost for Bedfordshire.
