VIDEO: Three jailed after armed raid on Leicester jewellers

Three men from Birmingham have been jailed for a total of 21 years after an armed raid on a jewellery store in Leicester. 

The men entered G Naran Jewellers on Belgrave Road on the afternoon of Saturday 14 November 2015, where they stole a “large quantity” of Asian gold jewellery. They were sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday 10 February.

Awale Madar, 23, of Birmingham, was found guilty of robbery after a trial in October, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Hussnain Gulzar, 18, of Birmingham, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to a total of six years in prison.

Meanwhile, Hassan Amir, 18, also of Birmingham, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, also at an earlier hearing. He was sentenced to a total of five years in prison.

The court heard how Amir entered the jewellers and held the door open for Madar and Gulzar who were both masked and carrying axes and a metal bar. They threatened members of staff and smashed display cabinets before making off with the jewellery.

They left the area in a Nissan Qashqai which had been stolen from Halesowen in the West Midlands a few weeks earlier. The Nissan was found abandoned nearby.

Detective chief inspector Rich Ward, said: “Our enquiries quickly led us to Birmingham where, with the assistance of West Midlands Police, we were able to arrest the suspects and charge them within a month of the incident.

“This was an extremely traumatic incident for those who were in the shop or may have witnessed the activity, we are pleased with the convictions and hope they go some way in reassuring the local community how seriously we take these offences.”