A man from Milton Keynes was jailed at Luton Crown Court after pleading guilty to an armed robbery involving a machete in Leighton Buzzard.
Karl Partridge, 24, of Dominica Grove in Milton Keynes, alongside Adam Pennington, 23, of Doggett Street, Leighton Buzzard, was sentenced for robbery and weapons offences, after they pleaded guilty to robbing a shop in September 2019.
The pair entered a convenience store brandishing a machete and an extendable baton and threatened the staff, demanding money.
They then forced the employees to open the tills, grabbed the till trays full of banknotes, and made their escape in a grey Peugeot.
Police say that thanks to witnesses coming forward, the vehicle was located approximately 40 minutes after the incident. When Partridge and Pennington spotted the police vehicle, they attempted to speed off and run a red traffic light, but they crashed the car as a result.
They were identified when officers reviewed CCTV and saw the pair wearing distinctive clothing and jewellery.
When arrested, Partridge was wearing the same clothing and had a packet of gum on him which he was seen stealing from the store. Pennington was wearing a different set of clothes than in the CCTV, but those clothes were later recovered from the boot of the car.
Adam Pennington pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and driving offences, and was sentenced to seven years and three months imprisonment.
Karl Partridge pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon, and was sentenced to three years and one-month imprisonment.
Investigation Officer Gillian Cook-Smith, who investigated, said: “Pennington and Partridge raided the shop and terrorised the unsuspecting staff members. They brandished their weapons menacingly; hitting them on the counter and waving them towards the employees.
“When they were located by police officers, they attempted to drive off at speed, putting themselves, the officers and members of the public in danger as they crashed their car into a wall.
“This type of violent behaviour won’t be tolerated and we are satisfied that justice has been done. They will now spend a considerable time in jail paying for their actions that September evening.”
