Supermarket raiders jailed for 19 years

John Doherty, 41, of Strauss Close, Liverpool, and Gary Small, 45, also of Strauss Close, Liverpool, admitted robbing security guards who were delivering cash to an ATM at Morrisons in Kirkham.

Preston Crown Court heard it happened on the morning of April 15 and was witnessed by shocked schoolchildren and shoppers.

The court heard Doherty was on bail at the time for a second robbery in Ross-on-Wye.

He admitted the second robbery. ANPR investigators saw his mother’s mobility car travelling in convoy with suspect vehicles on a “test run”.

Recorder James Adkin jailed him for 11 years while Small will serve eight years.

The duo also admitted taking cars without consent in relation to the vehicles used to carry out the robbery, which had been stolen in burglaries Liverpool

Prosecuting Abigail Hudson described how police were called at shortly before 9am following a report of a robbery of security guards delivering cash to Morrisons on Mill Street.

The robbers had been waiting in a Mercedes on the car park.

She added: “ There were lots of members of public around.

“The cash box contained purple dye which would be sprayed if the box was opened by an unauthorised person.

“The Mercedes passenger ran at the guard and shouted “Get on the floor” and so the guard threw the cash box to the floor as they are trained to do.

“The robber got back in and drove off.

“Witnesses confirmed the car had been parked there prior to attack effectively watching for the arrival of the van.

“The car was located,and the cashbox had been forced open by the Mercedes being used to back it against a wall and break it open.”

But the bungling robbers were arrested just half an hour later in a Vauxhall Astra with their shoes splattered with the purple dye from the cash box.