Robber pointed gun at mother and her baby and said ‘what are you going to do about it?’
15-AND-A-HALF YEAR PRISON TERM FOR STRING OF ARMED RAIDS
A MAN has been jailed after carrying out a string of terrifying robberies that left victims “shaking and crying”.
Mark Hamlet carried out armed robberies in Sandiacre, Spondon, Breaston and Long Eaton, waving around a gun which only carried blanks.
In one, he pointed a gun at a mother and her baby before asking “what are you going to do about it?”.
The first robbery was at Co-op in Breaston on June 9, 2019. Another incident occurred at Co-op in College Street, Long Eaton, on June 23.
The 37-year-old’s partner Rebecca Monk was used as a lookout on this occasion, checking on staffing levels and a security guard before Hamlet burst in and carried out the crime, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
The team leader at the store said during the trial that they were “panicking and petrified” at the time.
Hamlet carried out another robbery at Select convenience store, Sandiacre, on June 24, before one at a Texaco petrol station, in Spondon on July 3.
Finally, there was another attempted robbery at the College Street Post Office, Long Eaton, on July 4.
Monk, 50, and Hamlet, both of Grasmere Road in Long Eaton, were later arrested in an armed siege by police which lasted 14 hours.
Hamlet was found guilty of robbery, attempted robbery, threatening another with a bladed article and possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to a total of 15 years and six months in prison.
Sentencing him at Nottingham Crown Court, Judge Steven Coupland said: “You had a calmness about you, you weren’t hurried in your work.
“You spent a fair amount of time with staff at gun point. You took staff into a sideroom office, you went
behind the counter on another occasion.
“Staff were seriously affected and may have thought you were going to shoot and kill them. Some were left shaking and crying.”
While Hamlet was in custody for the offences, Monk was released on bail, having denied her part in an armed robbery.
During this time, the couple’s flat was used as the base for a drugs operation involving two teenagers, 19-year-old Jeremiah Hines and 19-year-old Dior Jennings, who were both 18 at the time.
Police arrived at the flat to search the property, but Monk failed to let them in despite them shouting “police” repeatedly and banging on the door.
The court heard this was because she was attempting to hide the drugs. Weapons, including a Taser and a gas canister were found at the property, along with scales and 46 grams of crack cocaine, 16 grams of heroin, nearly an ounce of cocaine and £1,820 in cash.
Mobile phones were recovered which had contacts for multiple known drug dealers in the area, messages to customers as well as videos which showed the operation had been going on for at least three months.
The group had the capacity to produce “100s more wraps” of drugs in what was a “small scale” county lines operation, with drugs taken to nearby areas such as Stapleford, Judge Coupland was told.
They were also sentenced alongside Hamlet at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday by Judge Steven Coupland.
Monk, 50, of Grasmere Road in Long Eaton, was found guilty of robbery and admitted intent to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to a total of seven years in prison.
Hines, 19, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs, being concerned in the supply of drugs and being in possession of an offensive weapon [a machete]. He was sentenced to a total of five years and four months in prison.
Speaking to Hines, the judge said: “You weren’t at the top of the tree, but you threw yourself into it with enthusiasm.”
Jennings, 19, of Whispering Dale in Stapleford, pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to supply cannabis, possession of cannabis and being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. He was sentenced to a total of two years and seven months in prison.