A schoolboy was forced to dodge a thug who was fleeing a £70k smash and grab raid at a jewellers.
Brian Lambert, 48, of Elmridge in Skelmersdale cut through the side window of David Moss Jewellers in Moorgate, Ormskirk, on September 25, 2020 at around 4.35pm. Lambert used an angle grinder to make the cut before stealing items of jewellery from the window display.
The business owner came out to challenge the thug and initially chased him away. But as the shop owner returned to the store Lambert threatened him the power tool, Lancashire Police said.
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Lambert then continued to take more items via the broken window, before riding off on a black mountain bike. CCTV footage of the raid and Lambert fleeing the scene shows how a schoolboy was forced to dodge out of the way of the thug as he left the scene on a bike.
A staff member is also seen chasing him through the high street. In total £70,000 of platinum and white gold diamond jewellery was taken, with around £20,000 of items dropped at the scene and returned by members of the public.
Following an extensive review of CCTV footage and mobile phone evidence, Lambert, of Elmridge, Skelmersdale, was charged with robbery. He later pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday December 19 to three years in prison.
DC Kelly Rosenthal, of South CID, said: “This was a complex investigation into what was a shocking crime committed against a hardworking business owner. It was only the hard work and dedication of the investigation team, ably assisted by the Ormskirk community, which led to Lambert being identified and put before the courts.”
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