Three robbers have been jailed after Nottinghamshire police officers noticed them all using the same highly distinctive car. The trio of friends stole cigarettes during a knife-point robbery and took petrol from a forecourt during their crime spree.
But Nottinghamshire Police says it was easy to catch the three men given that they had used a dark coloured Toyota Aygo with a bright orange roof for each offence. Alex Kinsey, Terry Woroch and Lee Birtles have all now been sentenced.
They received their punishments at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, August 17, after they all pleaded guilty to a string of offences which all took place on January 22 this year. The crime spree began when Kinsey and Birtles attempted to force their way behind the Post Office counter on Scrooby Road in Bircotes.
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They were left empty handed when chased away by a female employee. The trio then stole £30 of petrol from a garage on North Road in Retford before making their way to a convenience store in Owston Ferry. The shopkeeper was punched repeatedly and threatened with a knife before Kinsey and Birtles made off with cigarettes, alcohol and cash.
Woroch admitted to police that he had been driving the car for the earlier petrol theft, but initially claimed to have no involvement in any of the other offences. His lies were exposed when officers followed up on a fast-food receipt found inside the car and retrieved CCTV footage of him passing through the drive-thru in the right hand front seat.
Kinsey, Birtles and Woroch, all of no fixed address, will all now be spending time in jail. Kinsey, aged 35, pleaded guilty to two charges of robbery and also admitted to charges of attempted burglary, making off without payment, and handling stolen goods. He was jailed for five years and three months.
Birtles, aged 42, pleaded guilty to both robberies, attempted burglary and possession of a bladed article. He was also jailed for five years and six months.
Woroch, aged 51, admitted to robbery, making off without payment and attempted burglary. He was jailed or four years and seven months.
Detective Constable Holly Cotter, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "These men may have proven themselves to be pretty terrible criminals, but their calculating and violent actions will unfortunately live long in the memory of their victims. Building a water-tight case in any criminal investigation is rarely easy and this case was no different. We were, however, greatly assisted by our offenders' very distinctive mode of transport, which quite literally made them stand out from the crowd."
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