Two Warwick men jailed over armed post office robberies

Matthew Baines was jailed for a total of six years and eight months for the robberies at the post offices in Barford and Bishops Itchington.

Daniel Hay was jailed for five years during the hearing at Birmingham Crown Court for his part in the Bishops Itchington raid.

Baines had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to robbing an assistant at the post office based in the Village Shop in Church Street, Barford, on August 5 last year.

Baines (33) of Langcliffe Avenue, Warwick, also admitted possessing a bladed article, a knife, at the time of that robbery, in which he escaped with £1,829.77.

He pleaded guilty to a second robbery four days later at the post office in Bishops Itchington, from where he and Hay escaped with £2,284, and possessing a bladed article, an axe.

But he denied a further charge of attempting to rob a man of his car in Poplar Road, Bishops Itchington, as they made their escape following the raid.

And those pleas were accepted at a hearing last year by prosecutor Ian Speed, who explained: “The attempted robbery, we take the view, forms part and parcel of the escape, and we will ask for that matter to lie on the file.”

But Hay (35) of Portobello Way, Warwick, pleaded not guilty to taking part in the Bishops Itchington raid.

His barrister Catherine O’Bourne said: “He denies being present during the offence and acting with the co-defendant.”

So the case against both men was adjourned until after Hay had stood trial, which took place in February and ended with him being found guilty.

The jury heard that a CCTV recording showed Hay was with Barnes when he bought the axe at another shop before the robbery.

And the second man taking part in the robbery was wearing clothes which matched what Hay had been seen wearing when the axe was bought.

Following an adjournment for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on Hay, both men were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court, where Recorder Anthony Lowe, who heard Hay’s trial, is now sitting.

After being given credit for his guilty pleas, Baines was jailed for two years for the Barford robbery, consecutive to a sentence of four years and eight months for the Bishops Itchington offence, for which Hay was jailed for five years.