A cool raider with one hand in his pocket convince
A cool raider with one hand in his pocket convinced terrified
building society cashiers he had a gun.
And in his one man crime spree married Michael Martin, 25,
got away with thousands of pounds, Snaresbrook Crown Court was told.
Judge Geoffrey Rucker adjourned sentencing jobless cocaine addict
Martin until February 21 while a social inquiry report is
prepared.
The court heard how on June 16 last year Martin went up to the
counter in the Muswell Hill branch of the Nationwide Anglia Building
Society.
Martin quietly ordered the cashier to hand over the cash adding:
‘It’s no joke I’ve got a gun.
‘
Prosecutor Mr Ernst (correct) Horridge explained that the
cashier looked down and could not see a gun although Martin appeared
to have something in his pocket.
He made off with pnds stlg 270.
On July 1 Martin employed similar tactics to rob another
Nationwide Anglia in Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate, of Pnds stlg 1,000.
On July 11, he strolled into a building society in Blackstock
Road, Finsbury Park.
‘He asked about the procedure for opening an account for his
daughter,’ continued counsel.
Martin then quietly added that he had a gun and told cashier
Samantha Hembrey, 19: ‘Hand over the money.
‘
Counsel said that with ‘considerable bravery’ Miss Hembrey simply
turned her back and walked away ‘running the risk of being shot if
he’d had a gun.
‘
Martin fled empty handed.
But he struck again at another Nationwide Anglia Building
Society, in Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, on July 20, keeping one hand in
his pocket as he forced an employee to hand over pnds stlg 1,025.
The court heard how five days later Martin robbed the Halifax in
Crouch End, of pnds stlg 340.
The final chapter of Martin’s crime story was written on August
13 when he approached a cashier at the Bradford and Bingley in High
Road, Wood Green, and handed over a note.
It read: ‘Don’t be a hero, I’ve got a gun.
.
.
.
hand over the
money.
‘
He made off with pnds stlg 945.
Martin was seen shortly afterwards by a passer-by getting into a
minicab and the registration number was taken.
Police stopped the car and arrested Martin who had was searched
and found to have the cash from the latest raid in his pocket, the
court was told.
Officers found that he had been carrying a small brass
candlestick holder which looked similar to a gun barrel.
But Martin maintained that he had not had it in his pocket during
any of the other robberies.
Martin, of Lordship Lane, Wood Green, pleaded guilty to five
robberies and one attempted robbery.
He asked for 13 similar offences to be taken into
consideration.
Most of them took place in building societies in
North East London although one was in in Walworth Road,
Walworth.
The court was told that Martin had netted a total of pnds stlg
13,815 from his crime spree.
ENDS
