Post office robbers are behind bars
PAIR CARRIED OUT DAYLIGHT RAID ARMED WITH KNIVES
TWO robbers who threatened post office staff with knives before stealing about £3,000 in cash have been jailed.
Jermaine Johnson 33, and Theo Taitt, 32, carried out the raid on the morning of January 18.
They snatched cash from the till after an unsuccessful search of the safe at the store in Malabar Road, St Matthew’s, Leicester.
At a hearing in March, Johnson, of Regent Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of a bladed article in a public place and affray.
He appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday and was sentenced to five years and 10 months’ imprisonment.
Taitt, of Beatrice Road, Newfoundpool, Leicester, appeared at the same court in October, when he pleaded guilty to the same offences.
On Friday, he was jailed for seven years and two months.
Police said the pair were wearing masks, hoods and gloves and were armed with knives as they threatened staff and a member of the public.
Officers were told the pair had been seen entering a block of flats on the estate.
One of the knives they had used was recovered outside the block. An investigation soon identified Johnson and Taitt as the suspects and they were arrested.
Detective Constable Simon Roberts, from the force’s complex investigation team, was the officer in the case.
Speaking after the sentencing hearing, he said: “It’s clear Johnson and Taitt had planned to rob the post office for a quick financial gain. They initially targeted the safe but couldn’t open it, so instead took whatever they could from the till.
“But they committed their crime in a busy area of the city in daylight and a number of witnesses saw them leave.
“As a result of our inquiries, we soon identified both of them as the people behind the robbery.
“I am pleased both men have admitted their crimes, meaning they have been brought to justice. I hope the public can take some comfort from the fact they are now serving time in prison.”