Three jailed 38 years for robbery (From Prestwich and Whitefield Guide)

Three jailed 38 years for robbery

9:15am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News

THREE men have been jailed for a total of 38 years after carrying out a daring early morning robbery in front of stunned bystanders in Whitefield.

Staff at Morrisons supermarket, in Stanley Road, were gearing up for the busy Easter period when the masked gang struck.

They attacked a security guard with a sledgehammer, stole £90,000 from him and then tried to flee by forcing four passing motorists out of their cars .

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But the thugs were foiled when they crashed into a police car and were arrested. At Bolton Crown Court, Lee Waring, aged 23, of Clarence Close, Whitefield, was found guilty of robbery after a trial and was jailed for 12 years.

Aaron Corkovic, aged 25, of Pioneer House, Salford, admitted robbery and three counts of blackmail and was jailed for 13 years.

His brother Jamie Corkovic, aged 23, of Great Clowes Street, Salford, admitted robbery and four counts of blackmail. He was also jailed 13 years in total.

The raid took place on March 29 at 7.50am, just before the supermarket was due to open.

The gang, wearing balaclavas and gloves, arrived at the scene in a stolen Volkswagen Passat car displaying false plates and approached a cash-delivery security guard.

One of them hit the guard over the head and back with a sledgehammer, but he was not seriously hurt as he was wearing a motorcycle-style safety helmet.

The three men tried to flee the scene but police officers arrived to stop them getting back into the Passat.

The Corkovic brothers made a desperate attempt to escape by threatening the drivers of four cars if they did not get out. Waring was arrested later near the scene.

Det Con Richard Castley, of Greater Manchester Police’s robbery unit, said: “The offenders in this case have shown that they were willing to use violence to get what they wanted and I hope that this result sends a clear message to show seriously we takes offences of this nature.

“This outcome is the result of a significant investigation by our robbery unit into those intent on planning and executing high-value robberies, in a sophisticated manner, where victims are left feeling terrified.”

Det Insp Rob Cousen added: “This was clearly a serious incident where innocent members of the public and people just doing an honest day’s work were left terrified. We are extremely grateful to the many members of the public who provided information and the response of the police officers who attended, which was exemplary.”