Armed robbers jailed after targeting service station

Two armed criminals who used an imitation firearm and a knife to rob a service station have been jailed for a combined 11 years.

This sentence follows a thorough investigation carried out by our Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

Jack Knight, 44, and Grant Bolden, 39, were captured on CCTV entering the shop, in Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, at 10.35pm on 27 September last year.

Knight was seen to immediately point a handgun at the cashier as he advanced towards the counter.

Accomplice Bolden brandished a knife as he leapt over the counter to demand money and cigarettes.

The footage shows the pair leave the shop a short time later at 10.37pm.

They took cigarettes worth more than £900 with them.

The incident was reported to us by the manager of the service station, who was alerted to the incident by his employee.

An investigation was swiftly launched and support put in place for the victim.

Public appeal identifies pair

On 17 October, as part of ongoing enquiries, a CCTV appeal was issued via our social media pages and Bolden was identified as one of the people pictured.

Bolden himself called us to confirm he was one of the people pictured in the appeal, but at that stage denied being a part of any robbery offence.

Further work by officers, including analysis of the clothes the suspects were seen to wear, identified both Bolden and Knight as the perpetrators.

Analysis of mobile phones attributed to the pair showed incriminating messages further revealing their involvement.

During one exchange, texts on a phone attributed to Bolden saw a number of packets of cigarettes offered up for sale, reading: “I want £300 for them all. For 44 packs that’s a bargain.”

Officers executed two warrants at addresses linked to Bolden and Knight on 20 October, arresting both suspects.

At Knight’s address, officers recovered a black handgun – later established to be an air gun – matching the description of the weapon used in the offence.

Clothing worn by Knight and Bolden while they committed the offence were also recovered.

They each admitted a charge of robbery at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Knight, of Flitch Green, Dunmow, was jailed for four-and-a-half years when he appeared before a judge on 7 March.

Appearing at the same court on Thursday 9 May, Bolden, of Hunters Way, Saffron Walden, was jailed for seven years.

Bolden was also sentenced for separate offences committed in May 2023 – making threats with a knife and a racially aggravated public order offence.

During a taxi journey, he became aggressive and abusive when asked to pay the fare.

Drawing a large knife, he held the weapon to the driver’s face and made a racist remark.

'This was serious offending'

Detective Sergeant David Crane, of SOCU, said:

“This was a deeply unsettling and frightening incident for the victim, who had no reason to believe the pistol pointed at their head wasn’t a viable firearm.
“Knight and Bolden used weapons to target a service station, all in the name of stealing cash and cigarettes.
“The seriousness of their offending was matched by the determination of our team to find them and bring them to justice.
“We were able to irrefutably link both offenders to this offence, leaving them with no choice but to plead guilty.
“They will both rightly spend a considerable term behind bars.
“During a separate incident, when fairly asked to pay for a taxi he had ordered, Bolden instead felt it acceptable to draw a knife and threaten the driver.
“He then subjected the victim to abusive and racist language, before exiting the taxi without paying the fare.
“I hope each victim feels able to draw some sense of closure and justice from our investigation and today’s sentence.”

At Essex Police we put victims at the heart of everything we do. The Victims’ Code explains the rights that everyone can expect to receive as a victim of crime, and helps us define what we must do for all victims from their initial contact with our force until the conclusion of their case.

Find out more about the code and to understand the rights of a victim of crime, on our Support for victims and witnesses of crime page.

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