A VIOLENT robber who threatened victims with syringes and a screw driver has been jailed for 10 years.

Darren Philip Brooks, also known as Darren Ginbey, 51, of West Overcliff Drive, Bournemouth, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court to be sentenced on Thursday April 15 after admitting three offences of robbery.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was also made the subject of an extended licence period of a further four years.

At around 4.05pm on Tuesday December 15 last year the defendant entered McColls in Commercial Road and ordered the lone member of staff working at the till to give him money.

Brooks threatened the victim with a syringe needle and they gave him a handful of bank notes from the till. He left the store and the victim alerted her manager, as well as the police.

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At around 3.15pm on Friday 18 December 2020 Ginbey went into Smiggle in Old Christchurch Road and approached two members of staff working at the till.

He told them to hand over money or he would stab them with a ‘dirty syringe’. The victims saw that he was holding a needle by his side.

Ginbey stole around £80 and was seen riding off on a bicycle toward Bournemouth Gardens.

The third robbery occurred at around 5.15pm on Monday 21 December 2020 at Central Convenience Store in Westbourne.

Ginbey approached the till and told the member of staff to open it and give him the money.

They refused and called out for a colleague. As they came over the defendant pulled out a screwdriver and attempted to force open the till. He was unsuccessful so removed the whole till from the unit and left the store with it.

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A member of staff followed him and attempted to grab the back of his jacket as he got onto a bicycle to ride off. As a result, Ginbey dropped the till and the bike and ran off.

Following enquiries, officers attended the defendant’s address on Tuesday 22 December 2020 and he was arrested.

At the property police located items of clothing matching those worn by Ginbey during the robberies.

Ginbey was also sentenced in relation to possession of a knife in Christchurch Road on Tuesday 11 August 2020 and three counts of possession of a controlled drug of class A following incidents in Bournemouth in July 2020.

Detective Constable Dave Alway, of Bournemouth CID, said: “Darren Ginbey targeted a number of businesses in Bournemouth and threatened members of staff working there before making off with cash.

“These must have been very distressing incidents for the victims involved and I am pleased that through our investigation we were able to identify Ginbey as the man responsible for all three offences.

“We are committed to supporting members of the local business community and will do all we can to investigate crimes such as these and ensure offenders are brought to justice.”