Judge’s warning as pair jailed for armed robberies

Mr Justice Saunders said: “Small shopkeepers, open late at night, are vulnerable to this sort of attack. They have to be protected.”

He sentenced Carlington Appleby, 30, who admitted conspiracy to rob seven shops in Greenwich and elsewhere in south-east London using a loaded gun, to 10 years.

Venrese Hanshaw, 31, was jailed for six years for two robberies, including one with Appleby, who shared his home in Woolwich, south-east London.

The Old Bailey heard they were caught after a police Flying Squad surveillance operation. The offences involved holding up staff at eight convenience stores and taking money totalling £900.