REMORSEFUL robber Jason Creasey has been jailed for life for two raids in Ipswich which left cashiers terrified. The 28-year-old pointed a replica gun at assistants in the Thresher wine shop in Bramford Road and Co-op store in Ulster Avenue just before Christmas.

REMORSEFUL robber Jason Creasey has been jailed for life for two raids in Ipswich which left cashiers terrified.

The 28-year-old pointed a replica gun at assistants in the Thresher wine shop in Bramford Road and Co-op store in Ulster Avenue just before Christmas. But as he left the shaking assistants in the Ulster Avenue shop he said sorry to them as he walked out of the door.

Creasey pleaded guilty to the two robberies at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday and also to leaving a garage without paying for petrol and leading police in a high speed chase.

He also asked for four other robberies to be taken into consideration. Creasey was given a mandatory life sentence because he committed the offences while being released from prison on license.

In 1999 he had committed a similar offence holding up a Chinese takeaway in Grimsby and pushing the gun into the assistant's chest. He had been jailed for five years but was released in August last year.

It took him just four months to turn to crime again. Prosecutor Peter Gair told the Court how Creasey had walked into the Thresher wine shop at around 6.16pm on December 20, 2002 with a scarf wrapped around his face and his coat hood up.

Mr Gair said: "He asked for some cigarettes and then produced a hand gun, he held the gun sideways and told the woman to open the till and when she said she could not he repeated the question again. He was given £26 and left the shop."

Hours later at around 9.45pm Creasey walked into the Co-op in Ulster Avenue, when the three female assistants were cashing up. Once again he pointed the gun and demanded cash.

Mr Gair said: "They had problems opening the till for a second or two and he said I don't want to have to hurt you just give me the money. He was given £86 in cash and as he left the store he said sorry to the women".

Earlier this year, on January 6, Creasey left the Greenways garage on Norwich Road without paying for petrol in his blue Mazda.

The following day he was stopped by a police patrolman who checked out his details. When he was asked to get in the patrolman's car Creasey got back into his own and sped off along London Road and embarking on a high speed chase up to 100mph along the A12.

He was eventually arrested at Borehamwood by Essex police.

Defending Hugh Vass said that Creasey had been driven to his crimes because of lack of money he said he knew he had been stupid and foolish and apologised profusely to his victims.

Mr Vass said: "He had embarked on a relationship with a girl in Barking who is now pregnant rather than signing on he was selling cannabis and got himself into debt."