Two robbers were caught on CCTV arguing over who would carry the loot during a raid on a shop in Derbyshire, using fake names and Scouse accents to confuse the store owner.
The raid
Stephen Bradley, 56, and David Oakley, 48, burst into Maddy’s Store in New Mills on November 26 last year wearing balaclavas and threatening a shopkeeper with a knife and a fake gun. They demanded cash from the till before making off with £4,000 worth of cigarettes, £200 in cash, and nine bottles of Jack Daniels whiskey.
The getaway argument
Instead of making a clean getaway, the masked raiders started bickering over who would carry the loot. Using the fake name ‘Charles’, one ordered the other to put the stolen cash in his pocket, only to be met with a flat refusal. At one point, the pair put on fake Scouse accents and told each other: ‘Hurry up so we can get on the motorway to Liverpool.’
In a bizarre twist, Oakley even paused to apologise to the shopkeeper before fleeing. He told her: ‘Sorry love, sorry love, we really are. We’ll never come again, we’ll never hurt you. We’re very sorry.’
Arrest and sentencing
Despite the apology, the pair, who lived just five minutes from the shop they targeted, were tracked down and arrested within days. Bradley admitted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm, while Oakley pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a knife. Both men were jailed for four years at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
