Armed robbers get jail sentences

Two Birmingham armed robbers who stole jewellery worth up to £1.5m in raids across England have been jailed.

Elliot Burton, 38, of Highgate, was sentenced to 12 years in his absence after going on the run during his trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Simon Waller, 29, of Rubery, was jailed for nine years.

Both men were convicted of conspiracy to rob after raiding nine jewellers and stealing mainly designer watches, their trial heard.

Luke Nash, 26, of Newlyn Road, Northfield, was jailed for seven years after being found guilty of possessing an imitation firearm during one of the raids in Winchester, Hampshire.

'Terrified' child

A pregnant woman who worked at the store had been " terrified out of her wits" during the incident, Judge Trevor Faber said.

He added: "During another raid in Chester, the court heard that a nine-year-old boy was in the store with his grandparents.

"That child was, of course, terrified by what he has suffered. One doesn't know how long it will take that boy to recover from that experience, if indeed he ever does."

Burton and Waller had also raided jewellers in Birmingham, Lichfield, Cheltenham, Harrogate and St Albans between November 2005 and May 2007.

They disguised themselves with fake beards and moustaches, flat caps and balaclavas during the robberies.

On the run

Charles Gabb, prosecuting, said jewellery worth between £1m and £1.5m was stolen but just £70,000-worth of items had since been recovered.

He said: "The group responsible were well prepared, professional, ruthless and very audacious."

He added that there were "other men who should be in the dock" for their involvement in the raids.

Burton, of South Acre Avenue, had used the death of his partner's relative to persuade Judge Trevor Faber to excuse him on the penultimate day of his trial in April.

He did not return the following day and has been on the run since. Judge Faber ordered his parents to pay £1,000 of a £10,000 bail surety.

Waller, of Outwood Drive, was told he would have been given the same length of sentence as Burton were it not for his guilty plea.