A desperate gambler, with just his eyes visible through a balaclava, was in debt to the tune of £30,000 when he carried out a daring armed robbery at a city centre casino. Robin Simandi-Curtis, 27, of Sherwin Walk, St Ann's, acted in a "moment of madness" and was not thinking straight when he climbed into Grosvenor Casino in Maid Marian Way on Wednesday, March 8, with a large five-inch vegetable knife.
Masked Simandi-Curtis jumped onto a balcony, with his hood up and wearing a balaclava and a face mask, walked past the poker tables and purposefully towards the cash desk, Nottingham Crown Court heard in Thursday (July 6). Judge Julia Warburton, who sentenced him to five years and four months for the robbery, said he was plainly keen "to get as much money as you could as quickly as you could and leave as quickly as possible".
Simandi-Curtis had a yellow bag with him ready to fill with cash, and told police he had a rucksack ready to fill. He knew the casino well and spent nearly £4,000 there as a patron, the court heard.
