Jail for Sheffield man who 'terrorised' shop workers during drug-fueled crime spree

Jack Bush's crime spree on April 7 this year began at Cash Converters in Holme Lane, Hillsborough at around 8.30am, when he ploughed the stolen black BMW vehicle he was driving into the side of the shop, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Two male shop workers were outside the shop, preparing to open, when the collision took place. After speaking with Bush, and noticing that he seemed intoxicated, one of the men began taking pictures of the scene of the crash on his mobile telephone.

"This prompted the defendant to get out of the driver's side door, in what was described as a threatening manner towards one of the men, snatching his phone from him," said Ian Goldsack, prosecuting.

After initially hiding inside, the shop worker came back outside and managed to recover his phone, the court heard.

Mr Goldsack said: "That seemed to cause the defendant to become more aggressive, he got to his feet and took out an axe from the car. The defendant proceeded to run towards the two men wielding the axe. They ran back inside the shop and locked the door."

Bush, of Southey Green Road, Southey fled the scene in the stolen car, and less than hour later he struck again at Ramsdens pawnbrokers in Middlewood Road, Hillsborough - located just 200 yards away from Cash Converters.

A member of staff was watching the store's CCTV when he saw Bush smash the front window with a slab of concrete. He activated the security shutters, but Bush damaged them with the slab of concrete, before accessing the jewellery display in the display window and stealing a gold chain.

In a bid to get away, Bush crashed the black BMW vehicle into another car that a member of the public had deliberately parked across the across the carriageway to try and stop him escaping. He then moved off at speed, before shunting into another vehicle, which then collided with a parked car.

It was at this point that Bush abandoned the vehicle, and attempted to make his escape by wading through the River Loxley, at a point near to Holme Lane, Hillsborough. He was only detained when a police dog bit him as he reached a river bank on the opposite side.

When hospitalised for the dog bite he suffered, Bush was found to have cocaine in his system, the court heard.

Bush pleaded guilty to a string of charges including dangerous driving, possession of an offensive weapon, causing fear or provocation of violence, receiving stolen goods, burglary and driving without insurance or a license at an earlier hearing.

Defending, Annette Thomas, told the court that Bush's offending took place during a 48-hour period during which he 'lost control' and 'no longer wanted to be here' due to some family difficulties he was experiencing.

She added: "His grandmother had been hospitalised and his mother wanted to take her own life. He took all of this rather badly and committed these offences for which he has to be sentenced today."

Judge Peter Kelson QC jailed Bush for five years, and banned him from driving for seven years, three months.

He told Bush: "You have had, it's said, significant personal difficulties that caused your life to spiral out of control. You terrorised these two separate businesses over a period of time."