Man jailed for 12 years after seven shop robberies at knifepoint in Staffordshire
Patryk Slepowronski’s stole thousands in cash across Staffordshire and Derbyshire and left staff traumatised
A man who terrorised shop staff across Staffordshire during a string of armed robberies has been jailed for 12 years.
Patryk Slepowronski, 22, of Marston Montgomery, Derbyshire, targeted multiple convenience stores between November 2024 and January 2025, using a knife to threaten employees and escape with an estimated ÂŁ7,000 in cash.
Slepowronski targeted Co-op, Tesco Express, Morrisons, and One Stop locations in Upper Tean, Uttoxeter, Hixon, Stafford, and Bentilee.
In several cases, he forced staff to open safes at knifepoint before seizing cash from tills. The violent spree left victims shaken, though fortunately, no one was physically injured.
Staffordshire Police detectives identified Slepowronski after DNA evidence linked him to a knifepoint robbery in Hixon on Christmas Eve 2024. He was arrested shortly afterwards, with police finding safe keys and stolen cash at his home.
Slepowronski pleaded guilty to six counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery at an earlier hearing, receiving a 12-year sentence at Stafford Crown Court on Friday, 10 October.
He also admitted to a further eight robberies, seven charges of possessing a bladed article, and one attempted robbery relating to similar attacks in Derbyshire between July and December 2024, including three robberies in just nine days in October.
PC Libby May Houston, who led the investigation, said: “Slepowronski was prolific in his offending and caused significant distress and alarm to those who were unfortunate enough to be faced with him in these robberies.
"It is not lost on us the emotional effect having a knife pointed at you can have on the victims in these incidents. We’ve worked hard to identify Slepowronski, despite his attempts to conceal his identity, and bring him to justice.”