Raider gets 13 years after Leeds pub staff robbed of £10,000 at gunpoint

A ROBBER who was part of a gang who carried out an armed raid on a Leeds pub has been jailed for 13 years.
Mustard Pot Chapel Allerton, LeedsMustard Pot Chapel Allerton, Leeds
Mustard Pot Chapel Allerton, Leeds

David Robinson, 27, was among three masked men who terrorised staff at the Mustard Pot, Chapel Allerton, before escaping with £10,000 in cash

One man was carrying a handgun and the two others were armed with a baseball bat and a tyre wrench when they entered the premises through fire doors as staff were clearing up after a busy evening on December 29 last year.

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Leeds Crown Court heard the handgun was pointed at a member of staff who was ordered to lead them down into the cellar.

The bar manager was in an office in the cellar counting the day’s takings. He was also threatened before being ordered to put cash into a bag.

The men left and got into a Renault Megane which was found abandoned later that evening.

The handgun was still in the vehicle and had Robinson’s fingerprint on it.

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Robinson was arrested but released on bail while further enquiries were made after he denied the offence.

He was then involved in the theft of a Range Rover from the Halton area of Leeds on February 18.

Police officers were able to locate the vehicle as it was fitted with a tracking device.

Robinson was followed by armed officers as he drove the vehicle, which had been fitted with a stolen number plate, in the Tinshill area of the city.

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Robinson caused £20,000 of damage when he crashed after losing control.

The court heard Robinson was part of a group of men who burgled a large house on Wood Lane, Horsforth, on January 14.

Around £30,000 worth of damage was caused during the incident.

Robinson, of Kendal Drive, Halton, Moor, pleaded guilty to robbery, using an imitation firearm, aggravated vehicle taking, theft and burglary.

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Marcus Waite, mitigating, said Robinson agreed to take part in the offences after he had built up a large drug debt with dealers who supplied him with cocaine.

Judge James Spencer, QC, said: “There are features of this robbery that suggest to me that it was very serious indeed.

“It was targeted, a public house at a busy time of year when a large amount of cash would have been expected to be on the premises.”

Detective Inspector Jaz Khan, of Leeds District Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “This was a terrifying experience for the victims who were threatened at gunpoint and put in genuine fear for their lives.

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“We hope it will reassure them to know Robinson has now had to answer for his actions and has been given a very significant sentence for this and other offences.

“Seven men remain on police bail as part of a wider investigation and our enquiries are ongoing.

“Organised criminal groups who commit offences like this present a significant threat to public safety and we will continue to do all we can to target offenders and bring them to justice.”

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