A store detective who tried to rob a post office

A store detective who tried to rob a post office when he
was given the sack has been jailed for five and a half years by
an Old Bailey judge.

Andrew Bush, 28, moved to London from his Bath home when
he fell on hard times after a rowing with his boss and being
dismissed.

He stayed with a former army pal David Ashstead, 21, who
had already carried out several terrifying hold-ups with Peter
Meyer, also 21.

And eventually Bush was persuaded to join Meyer on the
the post office raid in Kingsman Street, Woolwich.

Brandishing imitation firearms, the gloved pair burst into
the office at around midday on June 8 last year, said prosecutor
Mr Keith Hadrill.

A customer was elbowed out the way as Bush walked up to
the counter and shouted: ‘Where’s the f***ing money.

‘
Manager Mr Peter Ellis bravely told the pair: ‘Don’t be
so damn silly, I haven’t got any.

‘
Meyer fired a blank into the air but Mr Ellis still
refused to hand over any cash and the pair fled, throwing their
jackets away outside.

Meyer and Ashstead were caught on another raid ten days
later and told police of Bush’s role in the robbery.

Ashstead of Maxey Road, Woolwich, and Meyer also of
Woolwich, have since been jailed for ten and eleven years for a
string of raids.

In October Bush was traced to his Bath home in
Westgate Street.

The court heard he was on bail for possessing 46
tablets of LSD when he carried out the raid.

In court Bush admitted attempted robbery, possessing
drugs for personal use and firearms offences.

The court heard after his time in the army Bush worked as
a waiter in Bath’s plush Royal Crescent Hotel.

He then became a store detective and was anxious to press
charges against a man he arrested.

But his boss did not agree and after a heated row Bush
was fired and left to stay with Ashstead in London.

‘In a moment of madness this young man changed the course
of his life,’ said Mr Nicholas Baldock, defending.

‘He knew these two men were up to no good but he stayed
living with Ashstead because he had nowhere else to go.

‘He was living off the charity of Ashstead’s mother and
was almost goaded into doing the robbery on the morning it took
place.

‘
Mr Baldock added that Bush was taunted with phrases like
‘You’re not going to bottle out are you?’
Speaking from the dock bush told Judge William Neville: ‘I
would just like to say that I realise what I have done and I
know I have caused a lot of people to suffer.

‘I would just like to say I am sorry.

‘
The judge told him: ‘You are still young and what in
heaven’s name got you involved in this sort of crime I don’t
know.

‘People were terrified.

I do not accept that this robbery
was virtually unplanned as everybody had gloves on and was ready
to change.

‘
Bush looked visibly shocked as he was led away to serve his
sentence.

ENDS
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