Robber jailed for business raids

A ROBBER has been jailed for seven and a half years after admitting his part in a number of offences at businesses across Birstall and Leicester.

Craig Sheldon was involved in the robberies at premises between December last year and February this year with items including cash, cigarettes and alcohol being stolen.

During some of the robberies, he was reported to be in possession of a knife.

Officers carried out investigative work into the robberies including CCTV analysis and gathering witness accounts. As a result, Sheldon was arrested in February this year and he was subsequently charged.

At a Leicester Crown Court hearing earlier this year, Sheldon, 41, of Drummond Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to four counts of robbery, three counts of possession of a knife and one count of theft.

One of the offences was a r robbery at a premises in Sibson Road, Birstall, at around 7.50pm on February 1 this year during which cash was stolen. A man who was working in the premises reported a man entering the store and pulling a knife from inside his coat before stealing the cash.

Detective Constable Jack Cornick said: “Sheldon was involved in these robberies at businesses where people work hard to make a living. He did this purely for his own greed.

“We will take action in these cases and will work to ensure justice is done.

“I am pleased the guilty pleas were made in this case and hope this result helps the victims of these offences in some way to see the defendant accept full responsibility for his actions.”