A mother-of-three who was the getaway driver for an armed theft gang that focused a safety van in a £25,000 financial institution heist has been jailed.
Shera Patrick, 29, was behind the wheel of a 153mph Audi A3 for a raid that noticed a guard coshed by two masked males as he was making money collections at a Lloyds TSB close to Manchester.
Within the moments earlier than the assault, Patrick was seen circling the world within the excessive efficiency automobile whereas her accomplices watched the guard after which ambushed him.
An hour after the raid, world enterprise administration pupil Patrick recorded a voice be aware on her cell phone wishing her gang had obtained extra: ‘Aww I am sh***ing myself mate however we solely obtained f***ing 10 out of it.’
Patrick used the stolen cash to go on a spending spree, forking out £1,500 on a three-piece couch and a 50-inch TV in money and spending £436 on leisure objects in a JD Sports activities retailer.
Police arrested her on the wheel of the Audi two days later after inspecting CCTV of the raid.
At Manchester Crown Courtroom, Patrick who lives in Sale close to Altrincham and confederate Thomas Warwick, additionally 29, have been every jailed for 4 years and one month after they admitted theft. A second man William Robinson can be sentenced later.
Mom-of-three Shera Patrick who was the getaway driver for an armed theft gang which focused a safety van in a £25,000 financial institution heist
The raid befell at 1:30pm on June 22 final 12 months after guard Jason Prepare dinner had parked his G4S van to make money collections.
Philip Barnes, prosecuting, mentioned ‘The primary three journeys handed with out incident however a black Audi A3 was then seen driving handed the financial institution, and the van. It could possibly be seen from CCTV that the automobile was being pushed by a feminine with lengthy blonde hair.
‘The Audi stopped in the course of the street, and Robinson exited the entrance passenger seat, with a rolled up balaclava on his head while Warwick exited the driving force’s facet rear passenger seat and was seen to position a rolled up balaclava on prime of his head.
‘The Audi drove off and parked up while Robinson and Warwick then loitered on the nook of the road for round 4-5 minutes, watching in the direction of the place the G4S van was parked and Mr Prepare dinner who was going about his deliveries.
‘The 2 males then obtained again onto the automotive earlier than it went around the block and drove again previous the place the G4S van was parked. Presently, Mr Prepare dinner had simply loaded £25,000 into an IBOX within the rear of his van, exited his automobile, and was strolling in the direction of the Lloyds TSB.
‘At that time Robinson and Warwick each exited the Audi with their balaclavas pulled down and each sprinted alongside the street. As they approached Mr Prepare dinner from behind, he heard a voice commanding him to ‘drop the field.’ Earlier than he launched it, he was instantly struck on the correct wrist with what he described as a black membership or baton.
‘Upon being struck, the IBOX fell from Prepare dinner’s hand onto the ground. Robinson then tried to choose the money field up, however dropped it. Warwick then collected the money field they usually each sprinted again to the Audi.
‘As quickly as he was struck Mr Prepare dinner instantly pressed his silent alarm which instantly alerted nationwide management for G4S. Mr Prepare dinner then activated a ‘detonator’ which deactivates the field and destroys the money, however given the time it took him to get it out of his pocket he’s not sure whether or not this was profitable because the field must be inside a sure radius.
Patrick used the stolen cash to go on a spending spree, forking out £1,500 on a three-piece couch and a 50-inch TV in money and spending £436 on leisure objects in a JD Sports activities retailer
At Manchester Crown Courtroom, Patrick who lives in Sale close to Altrincham and confederate Thomas Warwick, additionally 29, have been every jailed for 4 years and one month after they admitted theft
‘Mr Prepare dinner was tended to by the department supervisor earlier than going by way of protocol with nationwide management for G4S.’
Police stopped the Audi in Cheetham Hill at 4:15pm on June 24 with Patrick on the wheel. Initially she falsely gave the identify of her brother’s girlfriend who had rented the Audi however later admitted her actual identification. She gave no remark in interview.
Police searched the Audi and located a JD Sports activities receipt for £436 on the Manchester Fort Retail Park which was dated lower than two hours after the theft – with all the products purchased in money. A typed receipt dated on the day of her arrest revealed she had purchased a three-piece couch and a 50 inch tv in three £500 money funds.
Officers additionally examined Patrick’s cell phone and recovered GPRS monitoring information which confirmed the Audi and the gadget have been on the scene of the theft on the time it befell. The voice be aware created at 2.36pm simply over an hour after the theft added: ‘I simply tried to ring you then, you did not reply.’
Patrick, who has been in custody since her arrest, had 33 earlier offences on her report, together with theft, theft, assault and fraud.
In a press release guard Mr Prepare dinner, who works for G4S, informed police: ‘No person has the correct to assault me whereas I’m making an attempt to earn an sincere residing doing a job which I’ve accomplished for round 10 years.
‘This incident has left me shaken and traumatised on the considered being additional attacked. I’ve been in an analogous scenario again in 2005 the place I used to be assaulted and held underneath duress. The incident has introduced again recollections from the 2005 incident which I’ve by no means had closure from as no offenders have been dropped at justice.’
In mitigation Patrick’s counsel Peter Malone mentioned: ‘Sadly, way of life selections and mixing with the improper individuals has introduced her to this court docket. She accepts her position and was the driving force driving round after which driving away. The theft was not essentially the most subtle of robberies. The quantity plate had not been modified and he or she had not made makes an attempt to hide her look.
‘The automotive was rented by her brother’s associate however she was a named driver on that insurance coverage automobile.’
Mr Malone added: ‘She has three kids who’re presently within the care of her father. She suffers from nervousness and melancholy and her psychological well being has suffered all through her time in custody. She says she has misplaced 5 stone in weight and has issue consuming.
‘She needs to place these issues behind her and return to her kids and proceed along with her research of International Enterprise Administration. She is constant along with her schooling and brought maths and English exams. She has a job in custody however she needs to maneuver on and put this behind her.
For father-of-one Warwick, defence counsel James Heyworth mentioned: ‘He’s somebody who has had durations of labor previously working for his uncle within the constructing commerce till Covid hit. He ended up out of labor, cash and with drug money owed and he made the choice he made. He needs to alter and put an finish to this offending.’
Sentencing Decide Elizabeth Nicholls mentioned: ‘This was a short-lived episode however is of little comfort to Mr Prepare dinner who was left shocked, shaken and traumatised by what he has needed to expertise. Miss Patrick you went on a spending spree shortly after and there’s a message expressing the frustration of you solely getting £10,000 and the way every of you anticipated barely greater than that.
‘There was some planning nevertheless it was not intensive though there was use of a weapon to inflict the violence. There was some hurt however the hurt was not significantly severe bodily or psychologically. This theft was intentionally focused for prime worth items. It was not a spur of the second offence. Miss Patrick, you performed a vital position because the getaway driver and also you performed it expertly.’