Six men sentenced after attempted robbery at Wiltshire phone shop
Six men have been sentenced for their involvement in an attempted robbery at the O2 phone shop in Borough Parade, Chippenham
Six men have been sentenced for their involvement in an attempted robbery at the O2 phone shop in Borough Parade, Chippenham.
On 16 March, officers responded to intelligence suggesting the store was being targeted by an organised crime group. When the group attempted to carry out the theft, officers were already on the scene and swiftly intervened.
All six individuals pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal when they appeared in court on 12 June. On August 14 at Swindon Crown Court they have been sentenced to:
- Jason Hunte, 27, of Avondale Drive, Hayes, Hillingdon, two years and two months in prison
- Nusret Arslan, 24, of East Avenue, Hayes, Hillingdon, two years in prison
- Jesse Madika, 24, of Amersham Avenue, Edmonton, Enfield, 14 months suspended for two years and to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work (has already served five months on remand)
- Jaheim Thompson, 23, of no fixed abode, eight months suspended for 18 months
- Billy Gladdish, 28, of no fixed abode, 14 months suspended for two years and 200 hours of unpaid work (has already served five months on remand)
- Tyrike Rasgado, 23, of Deans Lane, Mill Hill, Edgware, eight months suspended for 18 months and 150 hours of unpaid work
Hunte and Arslan were both sentenced to time in prison for taking a leading role in the offence.
'I felt angry and upset'
One customer, who was in the store at the time, shared their experience in a statement read out in court: "From quite happily sitting in the shop completing a new phone contract, to suddenly men bursting in and running through the shop, a fire alarm going off, and shop staff shouting to get out, I was filled with sudden panic and an overwhelming need to run and get out and get as far away as possible.
"I ran up the precinct to the nearest shop for safety fearing the worst.
"I feel angry and upset that these people thought they had the right to put innocent people in danger ... and make me feel the way I have."
A sales assistant also described the lasting impact: "Immediately following the incident, I found myself overwhelmed with shock, fear, and anxiety.
"Since returning to work, I have noticed a significant change in how I interact with customers. I now feel a sense of unease and tension whenever someone enters the store. I find myself becoming hyper-aware of people’s behaviour, constantly assessing whether they may pose a threat. This has made it difficult to relax and carry out my usual duties with confidence."
'These men gave no thought for the impact of their actions'
DC Jared Yalden, of the Serious Organised Crime Unit said, "On the afternoon of March 16 men, wearing masks ran into the O2 store in an attempt to commit theft. Wiltshire detectives had been working in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to previous similar offending across the south and were ready to take action.
“These men gave no thought for the impact that their actions were having on their victims; as such was their determination in targeting businesses across different counties for their own personal greed.
“We hope that this result has demonstrated to our local community that we do take these offences seriously and they are investigated thoroughly and the fact that these offenders are now behind bars provides them with some reassurance.”