A man from Stonebridge who wore a pair of women’s tights over his face while carrying out two robberies at bookmakers has been jailed for six years.
Emmanuel Clarke, of Hilltop Avenue, donned the hosiery to disguise his identity while targeting the branches in South Harrow on October 4 and November 25 last year.
Harrow Crown Court heard the 28-year-old first escaped with £300 after threatening staff at Corals Bookmakers with what is believed to be a long-barrelled firearm at his first robbery.
He struck a second time at Ladbrokes where he fled with £200 after raising his right arm which was concealed in a bag and pointing it at staff.
Customers witnessed both robberies.
Clarke was caught when his DNA was found on a pair of cut tights, which is also known as a stocking cap, discovered near the scene of the first robbery by detectives.
Today he was convicted of two counts of robbery and one count of possession of an imitation firearm and jailed.
DCI Steve Ellen, of the Met’s Flying Squad, said: “When someone commits a crime involving a firearm, whether real or not, the trauma for the people involved lives on long after the incident and can mentally scar victims for life.
“Clarke had committed two armed robberies in the space of three months and without intervention by the Flying Squad would most likely have gone on to commit more robberies and traumatise further victims.”
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