10:21am Saturday 9th August 2008
By Paul Cahalan
A robber who used a tube of toothpaste wrapped in a sock to imitate a gun during a raid on a betting shop was sentenced to four years at the Old Bailey yesterday.
Lloyd Wright, 38, from Selsdon Road, Croydon, pleaded guilty to armed robbery following the incident at a bookmakers in Brighton Road, Croydon, on April 14, this year.
Wearing a hood with a scarf around his face, Wright walked into the shop at 9.15pm and pointed the imitation weapon at frightened staff.
He assaulted an employee before fleeing with money, but was caught when another member of staff alerted the police and an off-duty policeman, who saw Wright run out of the shop, gave chase.
The officer followed Wright into an alley in Selsdon Road but even then Wright climbed over garden fences to try and give the officer the brush-off.
But members of the public - on seeing him climbing into their gardens - also called the police.
When police arrived at Wright’s house the off-duty officer was able to identify him.
Wright, sweating heavily, told officers he had been exercising at home, but a house search found a white sports sock with a tube of toothpaste inside it - which exactly matched the description of the weapon used.
Police sniffer dogs were also able to track the route taken by Wright, which led to the back door of his home.
Detective sergeant Paul Bickley, of the specialist crime directorate's flying squad at Tower Bridge, said: “This is an unusual case, but irrespective of the weapon used the experience of the victims is often traumatic and affects them long after the crime has been committed.
“This case demonstrates the Met working at it's best, with uniformed officers and specialist units working together to identify suspects and gather evidence to convict offenders. The off-duty officer also demonstrated great dedication and bravery in chasing Wright, not knowing what weapon he was carrying.”
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