Chelmsford: Knife robber jailed for nine years

A man has been a sentenced to nine years in jail after carrying out a knifepoint robbery and making violent threats to a man and a woman inside a home.

Tom Lamb was caught after the incident and threats were reported to police and taken on as an investigation by Chelmsford CID.

Lamb had gone to an address in the Melbourne area of Chelmsford, on 26 July this year and demanded money from a man and a woman.

Whilst wearing a balaclava, Lamb held a knife to the throat of the woman outside the property and took her upstairs into the property where the man was.

Once inside, he demanded a significant sum of money and an iPhone and went on to make violent threats towards the man if money was not paid. Lamb left with hundreds of pounds and the phone.

The next day, the threats continued over the phone, with Lamb demanding extra money to be paid, leaving an account number into which it had to be paid.

At that stage, police were alerted to the incident.

Unbeknownst to Lamb, detectives began working to identify him as a suspect and began being able to place him at the scene using phone data and CCTV footage.

Lamb was then arrested on suspicion of robbery in London Road, Chelmsford, on 9 August. He was further arrested on suspicion of blackmail.

Lamb, 42, of Fox Crescent, Chelmsford, was charged with making threats with a bladed of pointed article, robbery and blackmail.

Such was the weight of evidence against him, Lamb admitted all three charges and was jailed for a total of nine years at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday 18 October.

Detective Inspector Guy Turnbull, of Chelmsford CID, said:

“Lamb carried out an incredibly threatening robbery inside a home and put simply you can’t do that and expect to get away with it.
“Despite his attempts to conceal his identity, we were able to identify him, track him down and arrest him.”
DI Turnbull added: “Those who attempt to use knives as weapons or to make violent threats in Essex will be found – as Tom Lamb is now all too aware.
“This incident will have been extremely frightening for both victims, but I do truly hope that this significant sentence will be of some comfort to them as they move forward.”

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