Man Jailed For Armed Raids

4 October 2011, 05:00 | Updated: 5 October 2011, 09:46

A man from Henley, who stole around £48,000 during armed raids in Oxfordshire will spend almost 7 years in jail before he's eligible for release.

Trevor Hayes from Leaver Road was imprisoned at Oxford Crown Court after pleading guilty to 8 offences.

His partner Susan Langridge has been given 200 hours of community work for laundering money.

In October 2010 the 46-year-old threatened a man with a shotgun at a lay-by on the A404, Bisham Village, in Maidenhead

Then in November he robbed the Checkendon Post Office, holding a gun to a customer's back, before stealing around £14,000 in cash.

In January he again used a gun to steal a silver Ford Transit van from the same lay-by on the A404.

Hayes used the vehicle in his next robbery at Barclay's bank in Watlington three days later.

He went in with a high-vis vest and balaclava, threatened staff with a shotgun, and stole approximately £34,000 in cash.

The silver van was found burnt out in Watlington soon after.

Thames Valley Police linked the crimes and Hayes and Langridge, 48, were arrested at home on the 28th of January.

Det Insp Joe Kidman, Senior Investigating Officer, said;

"Trevor Hayes portrayed himself as a harmless and lovable rogue, consistently denying that he was capable of violence.

"These convictions for four incidents in which he has threatened strangers with a shotgun in order to steal from them shows he is a ruthless, violent and dangerous individual.

"We must not forget that live ammunition was recovered from the van he set alight moments after the final robbery.

"The sentence reflects both the seriousness of his offending and the threat he posed to the public."

Hayes has been given an indeterminate sentence. With time in custody taken into account, he will spend 6 years and 202 days in jail before he is up for parole.

Hayes pleaded guilty six months after he was charged, but has not told police where the money is.

So far only £5,000 of the approximate £48,000 has been found.