An Ipswich man involved in robberies at a post office, bookmaker and of a security van has been jailed for 17 years.
Tyren Brooks, a 27-year-old formerly of Campion Road in Ipswich, was at Ipswich Crown Court this morning to be sentenced after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to conceal/convert or transfer criminal property.
The charges related to three incidents in Ipswich between March and May last year – robberies at Dales Road Post Office and Coral bookmakers, and the robbery of a G4S driver in Lovetofts Drive.
They also dealt with linked crimes including a home burglary, the theft of motorbikes, theft of fuel and theft of number plates – all committed between March 3 and May 2 2015.
Four other people were sentenced on November 25 for their part in the same crimes: Darryl Malone, 25, of Harvey Road, Colchester, Colin Weeding, 27, of no fixed abode (each jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery), Sian Warner, 25, of Stonechat Road in Ipswich, (also found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and given an 18 month sentence suspended for two years and a curfew) and Courtney Parker, 18, of Campion Road in Ipswich (guilty of conspiracy to conceal/convert or transfer criminal property, and sentenced to a community order and a curfew).
The robbery at Dales Road Post Office around 9.10am on March 23 saw a man a demand a bag was filled with cash. He had something in his pocket which was gun like in appearance.
A member of staff and a customer in the shop were uninjured but £3,000 was stolen.
During the incident at Coral in Stoke Park Drive around 9pm on April 10 two men jumped over the counter and threatened staff with a knife before taking more than £900.
The security van robbery around 9.45am on May 1 saw a man in his 50s attacked by a man who cut his wrist with a knife and then stole £1,000.
Police investigating the crimes found a number of similarities between them, such as the use of a high powered motorbike and the threatening of staff.
Brooks was arrested after analysis of his mobile phone showed he was near Harland Street when the theft of a motorbike used in the crimes took place and had been travelling from and to Stonechat Road before and after the time of a fuel theft involving the same bike.
When police looked into his finances, and those of his partner Parker, they found large cash deposits had been made in Ipswich and Stowmarket within hours of the first robbery. They then seen on CCTY making large purchases on Parker’s debit card.
A different motorcycle, used in the Lovetofts Drive robbery, was found at an address where Brooks had been arrested following the earlier incidents when there had not been enough evidence to charge him.
CCTV footage of the motorcycles being used around the time of the offences near the locations and in Stonechat Road, clothing worn during the robberies that matched clothing found in searches of the offenders’ homes and a variety of other evidence, from transactions made by the individuals to text messages, all helped to show what had happened.
It also emerged that self-styled hard man and aspiring gangster rapper Brooks even boasted about one of the robberies in a rap – Big T Who is Harder Than Me? – which is still on the internet.
Brooks, Malone, Weeding, Warner and Parker all went on trial at Ipswich Crown Court. On Wednesday 17 August Tyren Brooks, Colin Weeding, Sian Warner and Courtney Parker were found guilty. The jury continued deliberations and Darryl Malone was found guilty the next day.
Detective Inspector Matthew Connick said: “This was an excellent investigation by our detectives led by DC Christopher Townrow and DC Craig Powell who showed dedication by carefully piecing together key pieces of evidence to be able to charge those responsible for planning and carrying out the robberies.
“This case took 16 months to investigate and bring to trial. Fortunately serious offences like this where businesses are targeted and staff are subjected to extremely frightening situations, are rare in our county.
“Suffolk Constabulary will always carry out extensive investigations into this type of crime as we understand the terrible effect it can have on the victims and we are pleased that substantial sentences have been given.”
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