Three Ipswich men have been remanded in custody to appear at crown court next month after being charged with robbery.

Ryan Hutchinson, Jack Clougherty-Gallagher and Lee Seaman are all accused of carrying out robbery at a convenience store in the Whitton area of the town.

The three men appeared in custody for their first hearing at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court, in Ipswich, yesterday.

All were arrested and charged with robbery following an incident at the Premier Stores shop, in Garrick Way, Whitton.

Police were called to the store just before 1pm on Tuesday, April 10, after three masked males stole two bottles of whiskey.

None of the accused men entered pleas to the charge of robbery – an indictable only offence, which must be dealt with in front of a judge and jury in the crown court.

The charge relates to the alleged robbery of alcohol to the value of £90 from the convenience store on Tuesday.

Clougherty-Gallagher, 26, of Thackeray Road, Ipswich, and 27-year-old Seaman, of Byron Road, Ipswich, are also both charged with one shoplifting offence.

Neither Clougherty-Gallagher, a roadworks traffic controller, nor Seaman, a plasterer, entered pleas to the shoplifting charge, which concerns the alleged theft of alcohol to the value of £45.

The pair appeared together in dock, represented by solicitors John Hughes and Mark Holt respectively.

Earlier, Hutchinson had appeared alone, represented by Lyndon Davies.

The 25-year-old, of Kipling Road, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to damaging a cell by spitting at Martlesham Heath police investigation centre on Tuesday.

He was fined £50 and ordered to pay £100 in compensation, £85 prosecution costs and a £30 statutory victim surcharge for the criminal damage.

Prosecutor Tess Mann said the alleged robbery and thefts took place on separate occasions on Tuesday morning.

The Crown Prosecution Service accuses the men of being involved in a joint enterprise for the alleged robbery.

All three were remanded in custody and taken to prison to await their first appearance at Ipswich Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing on May 9.