Two men jailed following armed robbery spree in Hampshire

The incidents happened at an Esso forecourt in the town of Eastleigh and a Texaco forecourt in the village of Botley on 26 September 2017. The following day, a Betfred was also targeted.

Wayne Grant, 27, and Connor Davis, 25, denied three counts of robbery, but were found guilty and sentenced to eight and nine years respectively at Southampton Crown Court.

During the incidents, Grant and Davis entered the stores armed with a knife and a baton, threatening staff and demanding money.

Detective constable Sean Owens said: “These kinds of incidents can have a huge emotional impact on the staff members, especially when Grant and Davis were carrying weapons and making demands.

“I can’t imagine the lasting impact this has, and this is why it so important we get justice for those caught up in this kind of violence and greed.”

The sentencing follows several recent incidents across the UK, including a man jailed for five years following two c-store armed robberies in two days in Ipswich and a man jailed for four years and eight months following a crowbar-wielding robbery in Lincolnshire.

C-store retailers recently appeared on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show to highlight their experiences of violence and abuse against store workers amid cross-industry calls for government action.