Video: Footage of the
raid and police chase. Duration: 1'36"

by Keith Hunt

Four robbers have been locked up for a terrifying raid on a
motorcycle shop in which staff were tied up and threatened with a
knife.

Michael Stephenson, 21, was jailed for five years three months,
Olawale Korodo, 18, and Francisco Domingo, 18,
were each sentenced to
four years nine months youth custody and Wasim Bramble, 17, to four
years youth custody.

Stephenson, Korodo and Bramble admitted robbery, while Domingo
denied the charge, claiming he was acting under duress. He was
convicted of robbery and possessing a weapon.

Stephenson also admitted dangerous driving and driving while
disqualified and Korodo and Bramble also admitted possessing an
offensive weapon.

Maidstone Crown Court heard shop assistants Phil Arnold and Alex
Kingsley were bound together at K&S Racing in Milton Road,
Sittingbourne, and a delivery man was also held captive.

The robbers, all from London, fled in a transit van with seven
motorcycles worth a total of around £25,000 before a mechanic at
the firm raised the alarm.

Police gave chase and arrested them just outside Maidstone.

Mr Arnold and Mr Kingsley were working in the shop in Milton
Road on the morning of October 14 last year when the gang burst
in.

All were disguised. Bramble, then 16, was wearing a gas mask
and, brandishing a 10in long kitchen knife, and threatened to cut
the victims.

The victims were taken to a back room. The robbers demanded keys
to motorbikes.

Gavin Brown was making a delivery at the shop from his base in
Aylesford only to be confronted. He too was threatened with the
knife, told to get on the floor and tied up.

After the gang left with the motorbikes, mechanic Ian Hubbard
left the workshop, having heard a noise, and discovered the
robbery.

A jury at Domingo's trial was shown CCTV film of the raid.

Police were quickly on the scene and chased the van along the
A249, before using stinger devices to puncture the tyres and make
arrests.

Judge Jeremy Carey described the raid as "highly horrifying" and
said it came at the top end of the scale. All victims had suffered
trauma.

The judge said Bramble seemed, despite his age, to be the
ringleader, although it was likely there was a "puppet master"
pulling the strings.