A shocking plot to defraud health retailer Holland & Barrett has been exposed, leading to jail sentences for a shop assistant and her accomplice boyfriend.
Chantelle Laura Ashley, 27, and Ryan Williams, 30, meticulously planned a fake armed robbery at the store where Ashley worked on Temple Street in Birmingham city centre.
The Elaborate Staging
On the evening of 28th October 2022, the couple put their plan into motion. Williams entered the store wearing a motorcycle helmet and brandishing what appeared to be a firearm. He threatened Ashley and another staff member before making off with approximately £8,000 from the shop's tills.
The entire incident was captured on the store's CCTV system, which would later provide crucial evidence against the pair.
The Unravelling Plot
Initially treated as a genuine armed robbery, West Midlands Police launched an investigation. However, detectives quickly noticed inconsistencies in Ashley's account of events.
Further review of CCTV footage revealed that Ashley had remained unusually calm during the supposed ordeal. Most damningly, the footage showed her casually serving a customer mere moments after the terrifying armed robbery had allegedly occurred.
Mobile phone evidence ultimately sealed their fate, revealing extensive communication between the two conspirators both immediately before and after the staged incident.
Court Sentencing
At Birmingham Crown Court, both defendants pleaded guilty to theft and fraud charges. Ashley received an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with 200 hours of unpaid work. Williams was sentenced to two years in prison.
Detective Constable Paul Bennett of West Midlands Police commented on the case: "This was a calculated attempt to defraud Ashley's employer. The pair thought they had devised the perfect crime, but thorough police work uncovered their deception."
The court heard how the couple had planned to use the stolen money as a deposit for a house and intended to claim compensation for the traumatic experience they had fabricated.
