A Bradford man who stole more than £1 million worth of jewellery in a vicious robbery is beginning a ten-year jail sentence.

Donald Johnson, 32, of Brownhill Close, Birkenshaw, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court for one count of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery.

The court heard that Johnson attacked the owner of a jewellery wholsale business as he loaded precious stones into his car at his home in Manchester in November 2006.

Police who were called to the address in Whitefield, Manchester were told that at 8.30am the businessman was approached from behind by his attackers who punched him to the floor and stole the cases.

During the attack the man's son tried to intervene but he was also knocked to the ground. The offenders stole a case containing jewellery with a retail value of £1 million before getting into a white van and driving off.

At around the same time the previous day Johnson had been seen in the area acting suspiciously, said police.

Thirty minutes after the incident a witness saw a white van park up on Carver Avenue in Prestwich. The driver, later identified as Johnson, was seen to get out of the car and remove the number plates before snapping them in half.

Police said that when he was arrested he was positively identified by several witnesses.

As the police inquiries continued they discovered that North Yorkshire police had been researching a car, connected to Johnson, on the police national computer.

They contacted officers in North Yorkshire and Johnson was linked to an incident near York in 2005.

On that occasion, on October 27, 2005, a jewellery wholesale owner was travelling close to Upper Helmesley, near York, when he approached what appeared to be a broken down car.

When he stopped his car, a masked man ran over from the broken down car and started smashing the victim's car window before hitting him, causing injury to his face and teeth.

He then stole jewellery samples from the back of the car and drove off.

Police discovered that a number of cars had been seen in the area over the previous days, indicating that the offenders had been monitoring the area.

When Greater Manchester Police officers searched Johnson's address they found a valuation receipt for what was believed to be one of rings stolen in Upper Helmesley, dated March 2006.

Detective Sergeant Dave Baines from Bury CID, Greater Manchester Police, said: "These were both well planned and calculated attacks. Johnson was seen in Whitefield in the days leading to the robbery, checking out the area and planning his attack.

"These victims were simply going about their daily business when they were robbed and were left extremely shaken by their ordeal.

"Johnson appears to have been driven by greed and this has led him to totally disregard his victim's safety.

"I hope these people can now take some comfort that this dangerous individual has been taken off the streets."

Detective Sergeant Ian Fieldsend, of Malton CID, North Yorkshire Police, said: "I am absolutely delighted that Johnson is now behind bars where he can no longer pose a danger to the public.

"In the weeks following the robbery in North Yorkshire, my own inquiries had already identified him as the prime suspect and I was building towards an arrest. It was at this point that colleagues from Greater Manchester Police got in touch about their own investigation. We met up to collate information, exchange ideas and lines of enquiry which ultimately resulted in the successful conviction. It was a fine example of police forces working together."