Gang jailed for Norwich robbery

A gang which raided a Norwich bookmakers and dozens of others across the country has been jailed for a total of more than 35 years.

A gang which raided a Norwich bookmakers and dozens of others across the country has been jailed for a total of more than 35 years.

The prolific group toured the country during 2008 and 2009 and raided 28 different betting shops, all belonging to the Coral chain.

In each case the building was broken into and the safe stolen and taken elsewhere to crack.

Despite the high number of crimes it is thought that they gained just �65,000, but caused �60,000 worth of damage.

Appearing before Northamptonshire Crown Court on Monday the eight men were sentenced to over 35 years in prison for their crimes.

On September 16 last year the gang travelled to Norwich to break into the Coral bookmakers on Drayton Road in Norwich, making off with the safe as they had done in their other crimes.

Judge Ian Alexander QC said: 'From November 2008 to October 2009 Coral bookmakers were targeted across the country. It became apparent that there was a gang who has chosen them to burgle.'

'Someone carefully looked into this beforehand to see where the entrances were, where to put a vehicle and a place had to be located to take the safe to so it could be broken into.'

'It is organised crime of a serious level and that is the picture that applies to you all.'

The judge handed down sentences of four and a half years to Ricky Buckland, 25, Karl White, 21, Lee Start, 24, Dean Taylor, 27, Jay Buckland, 21, Dominic Florio, 24, and Daniel Spence, 28, all of whom were from Kettering, Northamptonshire.

Lee Harris, 23, of Rothwell, was sentenced to only four years in prison because of an early guilty plea.