Terry Wallace, 26, and 28-year-old Adrian Johnson have each been sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment. Leroy Wilkinson, 30, was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.while Leroy Hall and Leon McKenzie, both 28 years of age, were sentenced to seven years apiece. 32-year-old Brian Henry has received a six-and-a-half year sentence, and Victor Iniodu, 34, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment at yesterday afternoon’s hearing within Kingston Crown Court. The gang had been found guilty on 3 October for their part in a string of robberies across Southern England.
These seven individuals belonged to a gang led by Mark Nunes, who was shot by a police Flying Squad supported by Scotland Yard’s elite CO19 Unit during an armed robbery in Chandler’s Ford in Hampshire last year. Fellow gang member Andrew Markland was also shot during the attack.
Strong message to would-be assailants
Adam Miller – risk director at G4S Cash Services (UK) – commented: “We welcome these sentences, which send out a strong message to those considering any form of attack on cash-in-transit crews. The sentences are testament to the excellent work of the police, and we thank them for their diligence in pursuing the perpetrators of these crimes.”
Miller continued: “Over the past decade, the cash-in-transit industry has seen a marked increase in the number and severity of criminal attacks against couriers. However, the proactive initiatives we are taking in association with police forces and other key stakeholders such as the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), the GMB Trade Union, the banks and retailers are helping to fight back against these criminals.”
Economic prosperity of the UK
The cash-in-transit industry is vital to the economic liquidity of the UK, wherein cash remains the consumer’s preferred method of payment. The industry transports around GB pound 500 billion per annum, employs somwhere in the region of 8,000 couriers and supports a fleet of some 4,000 vehicles.
G4S has taken a number of steps (including the introduction of SmartWater to its cash boxes) as part of the industry-wide strategy to reduce the number of attacks against couriers. Indeed, the company has invested around GB pound 100 million over the past five years in crime prevention measures, encompassing armoured vehicles, body armour and other forms of innovative technology.