'Intimidating' armed robbers Dominic Wright and Lee Watson jailed for total of 15 years

TWO men who carried out five armed robberies have been jailed for a total of 15 years.

Dominic Wright, 23 and Lee Watson, 26, used knives, a crow bar and a hammer as they carried out a series of raids in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire last summer.

They were eventually caught after a police chase involving a stolen car.

Watson and Wright were each found guilty of five counts of robbery following an eight-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

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Two of the robberies took place in Derbyshire – in Langley Mill and Heanor – and three happened in Nottinghamshire.

Watson, of Nottingham, was also found guilty of taking the car.

Det Sgt Steve Wragg, who led the investigation, said: "Watson and Wright used an array of tools, from a hammer to a knife, to intimidate shopkeepers.

"These weapons could have caused life-threatening injuries if they had chosen to use them in that way. Some of the staff have as yet been unable to return to work because of the trauma they faced. They absolutely did not deserve to be put in this danger."

After targeting Alldays in Langley Mill on Tuesday, June 26, Watson and Wright began a series of robberies in Nottinghamshire. They struck in Derbyshire again on Saturday, July 9, at a Texaco petrol station in Heanor.

After a pursuit by police, the pair drove along tram lines and abandoned the car on tracks at Basford, Nottingham. They were arrested after a short chase on foot.

As part of the investigation police spent considerable time matching items of clothing worn during the robberies to those owned by Wright and Watson.

Det Con Chris Marriot, of Derbyshire police, said: "This case has highlighted the importance of working with other forces to maximise results.

"Through working in conjunction with Nottinghamshire police, we have been able to share information and resources in order to bring these men to justice."

Wright was jailed for seven years. Watson was jailed for eight years, with an extra two-month sentence to run consecutively, after being held in contempt of court for spitting from the dock.