Express & Star

Caught on video: Violent robbers batter shop workers with glass bottles

These were the shocking scenes when two violent thugs battered shop workers over the head with bottles during broad daylight raids on two off-licences.

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CCTV captured Darren Goulbourne, 33, and Christopher Donnelly, 32, launching their vicious attacks during separate robberies in the Black Country last summer.

A court heard on both occasions they casually entered shops and picked up wine and vodka before approaching the counter appearing to be about to pay.

One of the yobs would then repeatedly hit the glass bottles over the shopkeeper's head while the other would raid the till.

The pair escaped with a total of £500 during the two robberies in Wednesbury and Bilston.

They were caught after footage of the attacks, which left shop workers badly inured, was shown on BBC's Crimewatch on October 16 last year.

Their images also appeared in the Express & Star

They have now been jailed after admitting robbery.

Judge John Warner told them: "You subjected the shopkeepers to extremely frightening experiences.

"I do not understand why two people of your age should start offending at such a serious level.

"I hope you do not continue in a life of serious crime when you are released."

Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting, said the pair escaped with £300 in cash during the first raid on the The Glyn off-licence in Bilston on May 26 last year.

The pair made no attempt to disguise their appearance

Footage shows Goulbourne crash a wine bottle over the head of shopkeeper Jagmeet Singh while Donnelly dashed behind the counter to pin him to the floor.

Just seven days later, more CCTV captured the callous thugs as they raided Wines and Beers UK in Wednesbury.

The poair punched and kicked owner Rajiv Sharma as he tried to bravely fight them off with a wooden pole before fleeing with £200.

The court heard the vicious robberies left both shopkeepers badly shaken and with nasty head injuries.

They were finally traced and arrested in November last year after a police appeal for information led to the culprits being identified.

Jasvir Mann, defending, said father-of-one Donnelly, from Wednesbury, had nine GCSEs, was of previous good character and had always been in work until losing his job 12 months before turning to crime.

He said: "He had taken a great deal of alcohol and drugs before doing this and is thoroughly ashamed of himself."

Sally Cairns, representing father-of-two Goulbourne, from Great Barr, Birmingham, said he only had previous convictions for motoring matters and had recently lost his job as a delivery driver.

She added: "He had been unable to find other work and this led to friction at home.

"He has little recollection of the two offences after turning to drink and drugs and is shocked and disgusted by his actions."

After the case, Detective Constable Gerry Maley, from West Midlands Police, said: "The pair made no attempt to hide their identities, they didn't cover their faces at all.

"Both shopkeepers suffered head injuries as a result of being hit with a bottle, it is lucky they didn't receive more serious wounds.

"Thankfully these two are behind bars for a considerable period of time."

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