A group of crooks nabbed by undercover cops in a bungled raid on an O2 phone shop have been jailed.
Officers were responding to intelligence that suggested the store was being targeted by an organised crime group when dramatic scenes unfolded.
Shocking video captured the moment masked gang members were chased through a town centre after attempting to rob the shop.
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The clip showed three men with their faces covered, running into the O2 phone shop and scattering terrified customers.
They then fled through a fire exit before being chased through Chippenham, Wilts, by cops, as reported by Need To Know.
After officers caught up to them, one of the men was told to calm down.
An officer said: “I understand that you’re upset because you’ve just been caught committing robbery.”
The gang member replied: “What robbery, what robbery? What are you talking about?”
The raid happened in March and the gang was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday (14 Aug).
The suspects were Nusret Arslan, 24, of East Avenue, Hayes, Hillingdon, Billy Gladdish, 27, of no fixed abode and Jason Hunte, 27, of Avondale Drive, Hayes, Hillingdon, Jesse Madika, 24, of Amersham Avenue, Edmonton, Enfield, Tyrike Rasgado, 22, of Deans Lane, Mill Hill, Edgware and Jaheim Thompson, 23, of no fixed abode.
All six men pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal from the phone shop at an earlier hearing on 18 May.
Arslan was jailed for two years, while Hunte was jailed for 26 months for taking a leading role in the offence.
Gladdish and Madika both received a custodial period of 14 months, suspended for 24 months, and they must complete 150 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.
Rasgado and Thompson were given a sentence of 8 months, suspended for 18 months.
They must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
One customer, who was in the store at the time, shared their experience in a statement read out in court.
They said: “From quite happily sitting in the shop completing a new phone contract, to suddenly men bursting in and running through the shop, a fire alarm going off, and shop staff shouting to get out, I was filled with sudden panic and an overwhelming need to run and get out and get as far away as possible.
“I ran up the precinct to the nearest shop for safety fearing the worst.
“I feel angry and upset that these people thought they had the right to put innocent people in danger…and make me feel the way I have.”
A sales assistant also described the lasting impact.
They said: “Immediately following the incident, I found myself overwhelmed with shock, fear, and anxiety.
“Since returning to work, I have noticed a significant change in how I interact with customers.
“I now feel a sense of unease and tension whenever someone enters the store.
“I find myself becoming hyper-aware of people’s behaviour, constantly assessing whether they may pose a threat.
“This has made it difficult to relax and carry out my usual duties with confidence.”
Det Con Jared Yalden, of Wilts Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “On the afternoon of 16 March, men wearing masks ran into the O2 store in an attempt to commit theft.
“Wiltshire detectives had been working in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to previous similar offending across the south and were ready to take action.
“These men gave no thought for the impact that their actions were having on their victims; as such was their determination in targeting businesses across different counties for their own personal greed.
“We hope that this result has demonstrated to our local community that we do take these offences seriously and they are investigated thoroughly and the fact that these offenders are now behind bars provides them with some reassurance.”
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