FREED TO HELP IN TERRIFYING RAID
TERRIFIED supermarket staff were "frozen to the spot" as a gang of armed raiders forced their way in brandishing weapons.
Morrisons staff had closed the store and were moving trolleys containing £14,000 of cigarettes when the raiders struck.
Manager John Quinn told how the raiders, wearing balaclavas, scarves and gloves, forced open the supermarket doors with crowbars and threatened staff with weapons.
Worker Wendy Cartlidge was treated by paramedics for breathing difficulties.
Paul Spratt, prosecuting, told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday that the last customer had left the Leek store at 8.30pm on January 21.
He said: "Wendy Cartlidge saw two figures with crowbars. The crowbars were used to force open the locks on the main door.
"They opened the door and immediately approached the secure area.
"John Quinn described one coming through with a crowbar at waist level. He took it as a threat it would be used. Other members of staff were fearful for their own safety."
The court heard two trolleys of cigarettes were loaded into a van, which had been reversed up to the store. Other gang members helped load the van.
Mr Quinn noted the registration details of the white van and an Audi and called police.
The court heard the blue Audi was later seen by police in Endon when it crashed into a telephone junction box.
Four people got out and police caught Ian Fieldhouse after he had climbed a garden fence. The other three men escaped.
It emerged the van had been abandoned near the store and the cigarettes were recovered.
Now Fieldhouse, aged 25, of Willenhall, in the West Midlands, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after admitting burglary on the basis that he was a lookout.
He had only been out of prison for six weeks following a four-year sentence for robberies.
Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Fieldhouse took part in the burglary to pay off a debt.
Judge Granville Styler questioned why Fieldhouse had not been charged with robbery.
He said: "You were part of a professional gang.
"This is you getting involved in division one crime and people who are prepared to do that have to realise the penalties are going to be severe."
Following yesterday's sentence, Mr Quinn said: "The staff were shook up, but all appear fine now."
A second man, Wayne Marsh, aged 27, of Wolverhampton, has been charged with burglary at the store and will appear at court on April 6.
A further three men are on police bail pending further inquiries.
11 Comments
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by Warren, Meir
Monday, March 15 2010, 9:28AM
“I feel for the staff involved , it must have been dreadfull for them, but you have the question work prosses hear, £14,000 of high value and easy to sell on items left in trollies, it seems to me very strange indeed. Scum like this gang will take the risk to get a hule like this. I'm glad this one got sent down, only wish it was longer, and look forword to the other scum going the same way.”
by laura, west mids
Sunday, March 14 2010, 7:09PM
“if u ask me 4 n alf yrs 4 burglary is way 2 steep wen paedophiles only get 12 months this government stinks n av got it all wrong!!!”
by Dave Cheshire, Cheshire
Sunday, March 14 2010, 12:27PM
“Ron, the police do not decide on what charges someone should be charged with, that's down to the CPS.”
by Stokie in the know, stoke
Sunday, March 14 2010, 11:57AM
“For those slating the police for charging, please be aware the CPS decide the charges for most offences nowadays particularly ones as serious as this case. For those law experts also refer to the definitions of the laws around robbery and burglary and you will find by definition it is a aggrevated burglary (which has a signficant maximum sentance). Thanks to all you armchair experts for your opinions”
by ayd, west mids
Sunday, March 14 2010, 11:12AM
“so this guy gets 4 n half years for commercial burgular not robbery,for the simple fact when the police took statements from the staff in the store they obvious didnot say or mention the masked men threatened them in any way,so thats explains why the charge of robbery was not brought to fieldhouse,they decided to charge him with commercial burgulary because of the information they recieved..but judge styler asked why?why fieldhouse wasnt charged with robbery.if he read the case properly he would no,he wanted the charge of robbery so he could give fieldhouse longer,or was it because fieldhouse was an outsider from willinhall who commitid a crime in stoke?in the same court 2 days previous a man got sentenced for breaking another mans jaw and got bound over for 8 months and a fine,o yeh he was from stoke,but 4 n half years for commercial burgulary is a joke,people get lesser sentences for child abuse,rape,mugging o.a.ps, death by dangerous driving and even manslaughter,the judges like styler let the power get to there heads if you ask me,or is it because judge styler is soon to retire and is handing out these heavy sentences?he is a joke if you ask me.if iwas fieldhouse i would appeal”
by intheknow, newcastle
Sunday, March 14 2010, 10:49AM
“This is a typical example of 'bobby bashing' where a lack of knowledge and ignorance comes to the fore. The Police do not make charging decisions that is solely down to the Crown Prosecution Service based on the weight of evidence presented. They too have 'targets' and will pick the charge that will get them a result rather than spend time and money on a lengthy trial where the defendant MAY be convicted. If you want to gripe at anyone look at the crimnal justice system away from the Police, or research your comments before you make them.”
by ronnie, WENSBURY
Saturday, March 13 2010, 6:52PM
“I think ian has been treated too harsh, 4 1/2 yrs for a commercial burglary and no 1 got hurt, he should appeal against the sentence because he's been sentenced as a robbery charge which he wasnt charged with, people moan that its only right that he should be treated this way but what about all the sex offenders who dont even get prison for there crimes and there victims suffer for life, and the people who get caught with guns look at the sentences they are getting most of them getting less than 4 1/2 yrs, i think the judge who sentenced ian fieldhouse is a joke and should resentence the man as a commercial burglary charge, he's probably 1 of them judges what lets the sex offenders prowl the streets with stupid community punishments rather than sitting in prison , im not saying any more except the man has been treated too harsh .”
by PHIL, stoke
Saturday, March 13 2010, 5:52PM
“I understand your frustration Ron but its the CPS who decide who to charge and with what offences. Seems the Police did their bit in arresting the offenders and securing the evidence, pity the CPS failed to do their jobs properly. Dont get me started on early release schemes - Bulger - Venables and Thompson for example. The justice system is a joke and the villains are the only ones laughing.”
by graham, Newcastle
Saturday, March 13 2010, 2:58PM
“Many of the police forces are a joke in this country, unless they are targeting the easy targets the motorists. I was reading today of one police force that arrested the manager of a restaurant who found burglars ransacking his wine cellar, he chased them and single handed brought them back to the restaurant called the police and the police arrested him for assault. he did the police a favor in caching them only to be insulted by them when being arrested, and they wonder why we have no faith in them, then we had the Muppet police officer who booked someone for blowing his nose while sitting in traffic that was at a standstill, saying that the driver was not in control of his car, what idiot gave that Muppet a job? undoubtedly there are police officers that do a good job, but they are few and far between, the rest belong in an asylum as inmates.”
by Ron, Blythe Bridge
Saturday, March 13 2010, 1:31PM
“This is another example of the police bringing the wrong charges. Even the judge questioned why the defendant had not been charged with robbery instead of burglary which carries a lesser sentence. The police forever getting the law wrong.”