Gang of Armed Robbers Jailed

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Trio responsible for violent robberies at local petrol stations

A trio of armed robbers who between them committed 13 robberies in 20 months have been sentenced at Kingston Crown Court.

Nicholas Wordsworth, 35, Ian Dixon, 39, and John Carvey, 40, pleaded guilty to the robbery, burglary and firearm offences in December last year. They each received an indeterminate Public Protection Sentence to serve a minimum of six and a half years.

They were arrested following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad after a series of violent robberies targeting cash in transit deliveries including petrol stations on Talgarth Road Chiswick and Great West Road Brentford.

The offences spanned from September 2006 to May 2008 and the gang stole more than £350,000.

The gang’s hallmark were well-planned robberies often involving knives and firearms, including a loaded pump action shotgun, to intimidate cash in transit custodians. The weapons would often be held to the head of guards and in several attacks weapons were discharged.

One custodian was stabbed during a raid, whilst two other custodians had firearms discharged towards them during another. On another occasion shots were discharged in the air, in order to escape from witnesses, who gave chase.

Wordsworth and Carvey were arrested following the final robbery, which took place on 8th March 2008 in Hornsey.

As the pair prepared to commit a robbery, collecting a stolen white van and driving a stolen Mitsubishi they drove to Holloway Road. They did not realise, however, that detectives from the Flying Squad were watching and waiting for the moment to arrest them. The pair parked and transferred a blue holdall from the van to the Mitsubishi. As a cash-in-transit van approached a supermarket Wordsworth took the holdall from the car and sat on a wall watching the delivery taking place.

When the guard reached the back of the van Wordsworth removed a pump action shot gun from the holdall and threatened the guard, who handed over the cash box.
Carvey was waiting in the Mitsubishi and as Wordsworth returned and put the shotgun down armed officers intervened and arrested the two men.

An examination of the shotgun showed it was loaded and capable of firing.
Dixon had not taken part in the robbery and he remained at large. Officers used Crimewatch and a number of media appeals to trace him, before he was arrested in Norfolk in August 2008.
A search of the caravan he was living in recovered a revolver, ammunition and money from the raids.

Detective Constable Dan Williams, from Barnes Flying Squad, said, "Today's sentencing removes three dangerous career criminals from London's streets for a considerable amount of time and undoubtedly means those employed within the cash-in-transit industry are safer for it. Their willingness to not only brandish weapons but also use them on the guards serves as an indication of this.

"The Flying Squad is ideally placed to identify and dismantle gangs engaged in serious and organised robbery related crime. As a result of extensive co-operation with the industries concerned and other Police forces this operation was mounted and proved successful. Taking two loaded firearms off the streets of London as well as the men who used them."

January 30, 2009