Saddam mask raiders jailed

A detective shows one of the Saddam Hussein masks used

A gang of armed robbers who wore Saddam Hussein masks while carrying out 21 armed raids across Wales and southern England have been jailed.

Jamie Miell, of Farnborough, was jailed for 18 years at Reading Crown Court after denying his part in the raids.

Mark Davies, 28, of Neath, south Wales, and Garri Collins, 22, of Aldershot, admitted their part and received 12 and 13 years respectively.

The gang wore the £10 masks while raiding shops, pubs and post offices.

The court was told that between 30 October and 19 December last year, the gang armed themselves with guns, knives and baseball bats to steal money totalling around £30,000.

Police became aware of the link between the raids after five of the earlier robberies, most of which were recorded on CCTV, showed the three wearing the Saddam masks.

Their targets ranged across Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey and south Wales and six police forces were involved in tracking them.

Simon Mayo, prosecuting, told the court the robbers pointed guns at the heads of customers to persuade shop owners and publicans to hand over their takings and used "purely gratuitous violence".

TRAIL OF TERROR 30 Oct: One Stop Shop, Wooburn Green, Bucks 3 Nov: Post Office, Romsey, Hants 3 Nov: One Stop Shop, Bramley, Hants 3 Nov: Threshers, Prestwood, Bucks 4 Nov: Post Office, Usk, Monmouthshire 5 Nov: Village Stores, Great Kingshill, Bucks 7 Nov: One Stop Shop, Sonning Common, Oxfordshire 9 Nov: Southgate Country Club, Swansea 13 Nov: General Stores, Wooburn Green, Bucks 14 Nov: Post Office, Woodcote, Oxfordshire 16 Nov: The George pub, Holyport, Bucks 17 Nov: King George pub, High Wycombe, Bucks 18 Nov: One Stop Shop, Creigiau, Cardiff 18 Nov: Spar shop, Usk, Monmouthshire 20 Nov: Holiday Mews, Fetcham, Surrey 21 Nov: Post Office, Coulsdon, Surrey 23 Nov: Greyhound pub, Swansea 24 Nov: Duffryn Arms pub, Bryncoch, Neath 12 Dec: Social Club, Aberkenfig, Bridgend 18 Dec: Post Office, Brynmenyn, Bridgend 19 Dec: Post Office, Pontneathvaughan, Neath

The court heard that Miell, 25, met Davies while they were both in Winchester Prison and Davies contacted his friend when he was released in autumn 2003.

They later joined up with Miell's stepbrother, Collins, to carry out the robberies.

To celebrate their first robbery together, the three went to Blackpool to spend the £4,000 from the raid on a shop in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire.

It was on this trip that they bought the masks used in later raids, Mr Mayo told the court.

They went on to carry out a further 20 armed robberies in the seven weeks following their return.

In a raid on the Southgate Country Club, Swansea, on 9 November, Miell hit an employee with a baseball bat, breaking his collarbone, before the man and his wife were locked in a cupboard.

Five days later, at the post office in Woodcote, Oxfordshire, a customer had a gun held to his head, and a member of staff was told the customer would be shot unless he handed over money.

Mr Mayo added: "The terror that they must have felt at being confronted by men armed with guns is all too obvious."

By 26 November, Davies had decided he wanted to take no further part in the robberies and told the two others by text message.

'Catalyst of crime'

The next day, Miell was arrested at his home.

Some of the gang's raids were captured on CCTV

Davies was then arrested at Heston service station, on the M4, on 20 December and Collins in Tilehurst, Reading, two days later.

The court heard that the three had stolen a total of £29,700 during the robberies.

Simon Stirling, defending Collins, said he was full of remorse for his crimes, telling police that he had a "heart of gold" and intended to give up crime.

Jon Whitfield, defending Miell, said that, although his client participated willingly in the crimes, Davies had been the ringleader.

At a separate sentencing hearing for Davies, who gave evidence for the Crown during the trial, the court heard he had an "appalling" record and had spent most of his adult life in prison.

But his lawyer Ronald Christie said he had given a full confession and co-operated fully with police.

The judge told him: "You were the catalyst to this outbreak of crime."

Earlier this month, Miell was found guilty following a trial of one count of conspiracy to rob and 18 of possessing a firearm whilst committing or attempting to commit a robbery.

He will serve a further two-and-a-half years since the offences were committed while he was on licence.

Collins was given a 12-and-a-half year sentence for conspiracy to rob, 21 firearm offences and for grievous bodily harm and theft of a cheque.

He was ordered to serve an additional five months as his offences were also committed while he was on licence.

Davies was told he would serve the balance of an outstanding sentence totalling 22 months as well as 12 years for conspiracy to rob, 19 firearm offences, one count of burglary and five other matters which he had asked to be taken into consideration.