Jailed: Armed robber threatened shop worker with gun and stole car at knifepoint
An armed robber who threatened a shop worker with a gun and then fled after stealing a car at knifepoint has been jailed for eight years
Ayoub Adchiri, from Oldbury, demanded money from a staff member at Tesco in Hodge Hill, Birmingham, while pointing what was believed to be a handgun.
The worker was serving customers, including a child, as Adchiri leaned over and grabbed cash from the till on June 4 this year.
After fleeing the store at around 4.30pm, the 20-year-old approached a woman in the car park and demanded the keys to her Vauxhall Corsa.
Adchiri threatened her with the gun, later established to be a fake, and a knife as he forced the driver and her passenger to leave the vehicle. The provisional licence holder made off in the car as the alert was raised with police.
Officers spotted the Corsa, travelling at speed and on the wrong side of the road, before it hit another car in Bradford Road, Castle Bromwich, soon afterwards. No-one was seriously injured, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
Adchiri was arrested and a search of the stolen car recovered an imitation firearm and knife. Cash was also found in his jacket and later CCTV was able to confirm he was the Tesco robber.
The defendant, of Newbury Lane, Oldbury, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, threatening someone with a bladed article, dangerous driving and without having insurance or a licence.
Detective Sergeant Tom Lyons, from force CID, said: "Adchiri had directly threatened two people, stolen cash, a car and caused what could have been a serious collision in under 20 minutes.
"He put others in fear of their lives as they, understandably, believed it was a real gun and Adchiri had threatened to use it.
“He appeared to get even more aggressive as he also produced a knife on the second robbery; and then put lives at risk through his reckless driving.
"Officers were promptly on the scene to arrest him following the collision and CCTV confirmed he was responsible for the crime spree. A dangerous man is now behind bars for a significant period."
