Violent robber jailed for 4 years over dawn raid (From Echo)

Violent robber jailed for 4 years over dawn raid

2:00pm Tuesday 20th December 2011 in Leigh By Laura Smith

A VICIOUS robber has been jailed for four years thanks to the bravery of a shop worker and his family who overpowered him. Daniel Simpson, 23, of Randolph Close, Leigh, took crack cocaine with a pal then launched a frenzied raid on Jays Supermarket, in London Road, Leigh.

His accomplice used a large metal crowbar to rain a series of blows on the two male workers.

Simpson joined in with his fists, before he grabbed the till and tried to flee the store. But the pair weren’t banking on the bravery of the staff – who were quickly joined by friends and family who came down from the flat above.

They grabbed Simpson outside the shop and managed to detain him until police arrived to arrest him. But his accomplice got away – and is still at large.

Judge Gavyn Arthur told Simpson at Southend Crown Court: “There was gratuitous violence involved.

“There was gratuitous bullying menace used on innocent people, who valiantly defended their property and their persons.

“I make it clear I commend them for the resilience they put up for what must have been an absolutely terrifying attack.”

The crooks had been taking crack cocaine at a property in York Road, Southend, before the raid, the court heard.

They then drove down to the 24-hour supermarket to carry out the robbery. The store has a system between midnight and 4am when customers have to press a buzzer to enter. But they struck just after this security measure was lifted, at 4.10am on September 25.

The staff immediately realised something was amiss, because the men were wearing hoods and had covered their faces.

During their family fight-back, they grabbed a shop-stand and used it to fend the men off. One of the victims had to undergo hospital treatment.

The court heard Simpson had already been serving an 18-month community sentence at the time of the robbery.

This was imposed on August 11, 2010, for actual bodily harm where he bit his partner in the face and rib cage. In mitigation, Paul Vickers said his client had not pre-planned the robbery.

He said: “Mr Simpson is somebody who is vulnerable to the influence of others, although he accepts he is somebody who should know better.

“He has always found himself following others.”

He also told the court that Simpson had a difficult childhood, and had been left homeless at the age of 16.

Mr Vickers added Simpson was now working to battle his drug addiction.