An armed robber from Cricklewood who carried out a string of bank raids while on day release from prison has been given three life sentences.
Sean Patrick Bradish, 46, of Shoot Up Hill, brandished an imitation gun and got away with more than £40,000 after carrying out seven robberies, including the same branch three times, between April 28, 2012 to March 25 last year.
The Old Bailey heard Bradish, who was given a life sentence in 2002 for a string of bank robberies with his brother Vincent, now 50, carried out his first raid just hours after he was out on day release.
He walked into a branch of Lloyds TSB in Finchley Road, Swiss Cottage, on April 28, 2012, and pulled out a silver coloured imitation gun to threaten staff who handed over £8,500.
The robber was carried out hors after he left HMP Spring Hill.
On May 12 the same year he carried out his first of three robberies at Barclays Bank in Finchley Road, Swiss Cottage.
He had partially covered his face and escaped with £4,000 after threatening staff with his silver coloured imitation gun.
A few weeks later he robbed the NatWest in Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury of £8,500 on July 20 using the same silver fake gun.
He second stint at robbing Barclays Bank in Swiss Cottage took place on September 28 where he used the same silver imitation gun and fled with £6,500.
His fifth robbery was committed after Bradish was released from jail on licence.
It was the third time he robbed Barclays Bank in Swiss Cottage, wearing a hooded jacket and using the same fake gun he fled with £3,000 on February 8 last year.
The following month he attempted to rob NatWest in Cricklewood Broadway, Cricklewood, on March 22.
He held a gun to the cashier’s head but fled empty handed on a black mountain bike.
Detectives looking into the raids discovered Bradish had been captured on CCTV a month before at a clothes shop in Kilburn buying a blue coat and trainers which were identical to the clothing worn by the robber in Cricklewood..
Three days after his unsuccessful raid in Cricklewood he targeted Barclays Bank in Ickenham, where he threatened an elderly female customer with a gun before fleeing with £13,135.
He was eventually snared by detectives who had launched Operation Huvadu to snare the robber behind the string of raids.
Unknown to him this was to be his last robbery as the detectives were on to him and he was observed getting into a mini-cab in, Northwood, Middlesex.
The vehicle was stopped in Harrow and he was arrested and found in possession of the firearm, items of clothing worn in the robbery and the cash stolen.
The silver imitation gun which he had used for four of the raids has never been found.
Last month he admitted six counts of robbery, one of attempted robber and seven counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
Today he was sentenced to the three life sentences with a minimum of 17 years in jail.
Detective Sergeant Ben Kennedy, of the Flying Squad, said: “I am pleased with the sentence that has been handed down today.
“Bradish’s offending escalated over a period 11 months, with him becoming more brazen as time went on. Bradish showed blatant disregard for the restrictions imposed on him and had he not been caught when he did I have no doubt he would have carried on offending.
“A number of the victims caught up in the robberies genuinely feared for their lives and are still coming to terms with their terrifying ordeals. I hope that they too find comfort in today’s sentence.”
Speaking about her torment she has suffered since she was threatened by Bradish, the cashier at the NatWest Bank in Cricklewood, said: “This was an extremely traumatic ordeal for me both at the time and it has effected me until this day.
“I have avoided the area of Cricklewood where this incident took place because I do not feel safe there and I do not feel at this time able to return to the scene of where this incident took place.
“In addition to still suffering episodes of feeling anxious my confidence as a person has also been knocked and I feel that I am no longer the same person that I was before this happened.
“The things that I experienced will stay with me forever.”
Click on the photo gallery to see images of Bradish in action.
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