Gang jailed after failed bank robbery

A FOURTH member of a gang which carried out a failed robbery of the NatWest bank will be sentenced later this week.

Leroy Williams, 35, of Hallam Crescent East in Leicester, was convicted on Friday, August 2 of attempted robbery, possession of a firearm and possession of an imitation firearm following a trial that lasted nine days.

He will be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday.

Richard Christopher, Robert Allen and Bryn Parker were jailed last week for a total of 38 years for the raid on the branch on High Street in Lutterworth on January 24 in which a gun shot was fired.

Detective Inspector Shaun Orton said: "This was a desperate and ill-conceived attack and had our firearms and dog unit not been so quick in arresting these men then I’m sure this gang would have gone on to offend again employing a similar level of incompetency and violence.

"The bank staff and customer were put in fear for their own safety when they were simply going about their day to day business and they are the victims in this case.

"I hope they can now feel reassured by the fact these men are no longer a risk to the public."

Masked Williams and Allen went into the branch at around 10.30am armed, one with what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun and the other with a silver handgun. But staff refused to handover any money and the pair left empty-handed.

Parker, who waited outside the bank in the getaway car, drove the two men out of Lutterworth where they got into a second car driven by Christopher back towards Leicester where he later set fire to it.

Parker, Allen and Williams returned to Allen’s home in Broughton Astley where they were arrested.

The shotgun was never recovered, but at the time of his arrest Allen was found in possession of a black holdall bag similar to the one seen on the bank's CCTV. Inside that bag were six live shotgun cartridges.

All four men denied they were behind the raid during initial police interviews, but Allen and Parker did eventually plead guilty while Williams and Christopher were found guilty after a trial.

Christopher, 26, of Trigo Close in Leicester, was sentenced to 15 years; and Allen, 33, of Hall Farm Crescent in Broughton Astley, and Parker, 31, of The Fairway, Leicester, each got 11 years and six months for robbery, possession of a firearm and possession of an imitation firearm.

Parker was given an additional six months for handling stolen goods and common assault.

Detective Inspector Shaun Orton added: "The fact live ammunition was recovered from Allen’s home reflects the seriousness of his offending and the threat he and his associates could have posed to the public who might get in their way."

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