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.
Paul Arnold and Alex Kingsley were working at K&S Racing, in Milton Road, on the morning of October 14 last year, when the gang burst in.

Carrying a kitchen knife

All were disguised. Bramble, then 16, was wearing a gas mask and, brandishing a 10in kitchen knife, threatened to cut the victims.
The victims were taken to a back room. The robbers demanded keys to motorbikes.
Gavin Brown, who was making a delivery at the shop from his base in Aylesford, was also 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.
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. Maidstone Crown Court heard shop assistants Mr Arnold and Mr 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 about £25,000 before a mechanic at the firm raised the alarm.
Police were quickly on the scene and chased the van along the A249, before using stinger devices to puncture the tyres and make arrests.