Ruthless uncle and nephew jailed after Wirral store raid spree

Aug 1 2012 by Ben Rossington, Birkenhead News

A “RUTHLESS” uncle and nephew were both branded dangers to society after carrying out a spate of terrifying armed raids on shops across Wirral.

In a month, Wayne Jackson senior and Wayne Jackson junior – along with accomplices – held up nine convenience stores and off-licences .

In one 20-minute spell, Jackson jnr, 19, went into two shops in Greasby and Oxton wearing a Hallowe’en wolf mask while brandishing a large kitchen knife.

In others, Jackson snr told staff members: “I’ve got a bullet here and it’s got your name on it” or threatened to stab them as he forced them to open tills and fill bags with cigarettes and booze.

To terrorise them, he had spray- painted a red BB gun black in the kitchen of his home in Newport Close, Prenton, to make it look like a real gun.

Between January 28 and February 29 this year, the uncle/nephew team robbed:

28/01/12 8.15pm – One Stop Shop, Arrowe Park Road, Upton.

31/01/12 8.30pm – Co-op, Saughall Massie Road, Upton.

9/02/12 6.20pm – Bargain Booze, Arrowe Road, Greasby.

9/02/12 6.40pm – Simply Food & Drinks, Wellington Road, Oxton.

12/02/12 7.20pm – Simply Food & Drinks, Station Approach, Meols.

12/02/12 8.10pm – Bargain Booze, Pensby Road, Pensby.

24/02/12 9.10pm – One Stop Shop, Arrowe Park Road, Upton.

26/02/12 9.35pm – Premier Stores, Prenton Hall Road, Prenton.

29/02/12 9pm – McColls, Holmsland Road, Prenton.

Jackson snr admitted his part in seven of the robberies and Jackson jnr admitted being involved in six.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, sitting at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, said in his opinion the pair represented a danger to the public.

He locked up Jackson snr, 39, indefinitely. He will only be released when experts deem he is no longer a danger to the public.

Jackson jnr was told he will serve four years behind bars and then be on licence for seven more years after his release so he can be monitored closely in the community.

Their look-out on their final raid – Jackson jnr’s friend Sean Flaherty – was jailed for 20 months after the 25-year-old, of Carr Bridge Road, Woodchurch, pleaded guilty to a single count of robbery.

The Jacksons both admitted charges of conspiring to rob and conspiring to possess a firearm. Judge Aubrey told them: “You targeted shops and business, you were always disguised – whether it was by a scarf, a mask or disguised by a balaclava – and you were both armed, one with a knife – a fearsome knife – and an imitation firearm.

“Both of you carried out such a campaign in the knowledge staff members would frequently be female and in consequence of that which you said and did – your words were chilling, menacing and threatening – you left many in your wake with psychological scars that will live with them for the rest of their lives.

“The damage caused to your victims is almost immeasurable.”

The judge told Jackson snr: “You are a career criminal. You are a ruthless individual and I have no hesitation in finding that you represent a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public.

“I find that you are a dangerous man and the public need to be protected from you.”

Neville Biddle, prosecuting, told the court shop staff were left terrified by the threats the Jacksons made.

At the Simply Food and Drink store in Oxton, Jackson snr calmly told an assistant: “I have got a gun. I have got one bullet. Hurry up or I will shoot you in the foot.”

And, at McColls in Prenton, he jabbed a large kitchen knife at a women when she panicked trying to open the till.

The court heard Jackson snr told her: “You have three seconds to open it. Three . . . two . . . one . . . ”

He did it six times, Mr Biddle said, each time putting the knife to a different part of the woman’s body.

During the second robbery at the Co-op, in Upton, the assistant manager was pistol-whipped twice and hit over the head with a stick that had a nail pushed through it.

John Weate, defending Jackson snr, said his client was a “regular” before the courts, with 126 previous offences, including one for holding up an off-licence.

He said his client was “full of remorse and full of apologies”, which brought derision from some of the victims sat at the side of the court.

Ian Harris, for Jackson jnr, of Ganneys Meadow Road, Woodchurch, said his client was “not particularly bright” and had been under the influence of his “more criminally sophisticated uncle”.

Mr Harris said Jackson jnr struggled with a drink problem but he was now “full of shame for what he did, which was simply inexcusable”.