Two robbers who threatened staff at a Bury store with knives and fled with cash were jailed on Friday after one of the offenders confessed the crime to her mother.
James Clewes, 32, of Bond Street, Bury, and Bernadette Chapman, 27, also of Bond Street, were jailed for three years and four months and two years six months respectively at Bolton Crown Court.
The incident occurred on Thursday May 23 just after 7.10am when the pair armed with knives barged into the Best One shop on Rochdale Road demanding cash.
Clewes then threatened at cashier at knifepoint while Chapman filled a bag with cash and cigarettes, when they tried to escape a member of public held the door shut from the outside and they smashed through the glass panel in the door and ran along Albert Street.
Within a couple of hours Chapman confessed the crime to her mother who contacted police. The pair were arrested later that day in a nearby pub.
Detective Constable Mick Yates, said: “Clewes and Chapman armed themselves with knives and used the threat of violence to terrify staff at the shop. By their own admissions it was a desperate act.
“It seems the reality of what they had just done quickly dawned on them and Chapman in particular, was quick to confess.
“Faced with this revelation and an extremely difficult decision to make, credit must go to Bernadette Chapman’s mother, who without hesitation called the police.
“I must also reserve special praise for the witness who saw this robbery in action and bravely did everything he could to stop them escaping from the shop.”
Clewes admitted robbery, possessing a bladed article and two counts of threatening a member of public with a bladed article and Chapman admitted robbery and possessing a bladed article.
Clothes that matched that worn by the offenders were recovered during a search of their house.
DC Yates added: “Between them they have shown that there are members of our community who will not sit by and watch something criminal happen and who will not sit back in the knowledge that someone is responsible for such offences and do nothing.
“They have proven that the police and the public can work together side by side to bring criminals to justice.”
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